Not In Wonderland
by VoldemortsBFF
Summary: Alice Evans is a demon who wishes to be free from her dark past and the curse she currently bears. When she gets mixed up with Earl Ciel Phantomhive and his servants, will her life change for better or for worse?
1. Not In Wonderland: 1

I am covered in blood. But it's not mine. It's sticky and gross and I really want a bath. The two daggers that I hold in my hands really needed cleaning too. The moon illuminated the mansion's dark halls as I made my way to my "master's" office. I stopped at large oak doors and knocked twice.

"Enter."

I stepped inside without a word. Inside was a man sitting behind a desk. He was dangerous, about in his thirties, annoyingly confident, and his name is Philip Barker. He is a pathetic excuse for a human and I absolutely, one-hundred percent hate his guts.

"How did it go?" He asked.

"They're dead," I replied simply, "Can I go now?"

"Fine," he sighed, "But I will have another assignment for you tomorrow night."

I rolled my eyes. "I'd rather not. I've been working non-stop for about a year. When do I get a break?"

He laughed as if my complaining was amusing. "Never," he said, "And disobeying me will do you no good. Don't you remember last time?" My hand instinctively reached up to touch the cursed necklace that hung around my throat. I don't want to remember last time.

"Good. If you don't have anything else to say, leave. And try not to track blood on my carpets again!" He yelled at me as I left to go to my room. I made sure that on the way I got as much blood as I could on the carpet.

I got to my room and went to the connecting bathroom to bathe. As I washed the blood off me, I began to clean my daggers as well. Once I was all squeaky clean I put on a nightgown and lay down in bed. Since I'm a demon, I can't sleep, but it was nice to have a few hours to myself.

I should explain. My name is Alice Evans and I'm a demon. A year ago, I made a contract with that pathetic man, Barker, and he tricked me into wearing this cursed necklace. Barker has connections with people who deal with the Underworld and was able to have one made for him. What it does is rearranges our contract so that I must work for him forever and he gets to keep his soul. If I don't do what he says, the necklace starts burning at my skin causing unimaginable pain. Believe me, I've tried to get the damned thing off, but it's impossible.

Barker sells illegal things like drugs and weapons to every criminal in England. Because of his line of work, he has a lot of enemies. It's my job to get rid of those enemies. Fun, right?

I sighed, completely bored. Out of habit, I reached up to the necklace and clawed at it. I winced in pain as my nails cut through my skin, but not making an impact on the necklace. It didn't matter. The wounds would heal by tomorrow.

Morning light seeped through my curtains. I got off the bed and stretched. "I wonder who I am to kill today," I said to myself. I changed into my favorite blue dress and began to brush my long brown hair.

A knock sounded at my door as a servant stuttered, "M-miss Evans, Lord B-barker wishes to speak to you."

I sighed. "Very well, I'll be out in a moment," I said. Once I heard the servant's footsteps disappear down the hallway, I grabbed my daggers and headed towards Barker's office.

Without bothering to knock, I opened the large oak doors and stepped inside to find the human sitting lazily at his desk.

"Hello Alice. I trust you slept well?" he said sarcastically, knowing I don't sleep. Ignoring his remark, I got straight to the point.

"Who is to die tonight?"

Barker smirked and stood facing away from me as he looked out the window. "I believe the Queen suspects that I am using a demon to carry out many of my 'jobs'. I'm sure that she'll have her Guard Dog come after me soon. I want you to kill Ciel Phantomhive."


	2. Not In Wonderland: 2

I jumped from rooftop to rooftop as I headed toward the Phantomhive manor. Once I arrived at my destination, I circled the rather large estate trying to find where the "Queen's Guard Dog" could be. It wasn't easy; this place is much larger than Barker's! It was a lot prettier here too. _Sigh_, I wish Barker had a garden like that. Argh, focus!

I hid in a tree and strained to see inside some of the windows. In one window I could see what looked like an office…and a figure sitting at a desk! That must be the Phantomhive guy. I leaped toward a ledge just outside the window and peered inside. A young boy with an eye patch was sleeping at the desk. What? Ciel Phantomhive is just a little kid? I may be a demon, but even I have a problem with assassinating a 12-year old boy. But if I don't, the pain will come and it won't stop until the order is fulfilled. It sucks but I have to kill him.

The window was locked but that can't stop a demon. I effortlessly unlocked the window and climbed into the office. As I tightened my grip on my two daggers, I couldn't help but stare at the kid. There was something weird about him. Hmmm. I guess it didn't matter. I took a step closer to Ciel and raised my dagger. Sorry, kid.

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my hand and the dagger dropped to the floor. My hand was bleeding and a fork was sticking out of it. Angrily, I removed the piece of silverware from my hand and turned to face my attacker. A man with raven-black hair holding a tray with a piece of cake was standing in the doorway. He was wearing a butler uniform and he was very handsome. _Very_ handsome. But his eyes were glowing a dangerous red and I knew he was a demon. No wonder there was something weird about the child. He must have a contract with this demon butler.

"You should be more careful. You wouldn't want to wake the Young Master," the butler said. I narrowed my eyes. To kill the kid, I would have to take this guy out first, and he looked a lot stronger than me. I picked up my dagger and lunged at him. I was stopped short when something sweet-smelling and awesome-tasting was shoved in my face. He threw the cake at me! I know I was in the middle of a battle but I couldn't help but taste it a little bit…heh heh angel food cake, how ironic. ARGH! Focus, Alice! I used my arm to wipe the pastry off of my face and looked up to see the butler rushing at me. I dodged just in time and slashed at him with my dagger. He moved out of the way of the blade and punched me in the stomach, sending me flying against the wall with a loud thud. The noise was loud enough to wake the tiny noble. He looked at me and the butler with surprise and then boredom.

"Sebastian, hurry up and take care of this," the brat said. This was not good. Sebastian smirked and took a step towards me. Yikes! This wasn't going to work out. If I stay, this "Sebastian" guy was going to kill me. If I ran away, this stupid necklace will make me wish I were dead until I finish the job. The demon took another step towards me. Yeah, I'm running. Maybe the necklace will understand why I couldn't do it. I wasted no time jumping out the window I came in from. The minute my feet touched the ground, I felt an intense pain in my neck. It hurt so much! I have to get back to Barker's place. He can order me to kill Ciel another day and the pain will stop. Sounds like a good plan. I took off running with my demon speed towards Barker's mansion.

* * *

><p>Ciel Phantomhive stared out the window in the direction the strange girl had fled. He sighed.<p>

"What was all that about, Sebastian?" He asked

"She was about to kill you, Young Master," Sebastian responded simply.

"Was she a demon?"

"Yes. I could sense she had a contract too. Normal demons don't usually go around killing random nobles. Someone must have ordered her to do it."

Ciel looked troubled and said, "Then go get her. Maybe we can get her to tell us who she's working for. That's an order." Sebastian smirked, placed his right hand over his heart, and bowed.

"Yes, My Lord."


	3. Not In Wonderland: 3

Chapter 3

I bounded from rooftop to rooftop in a desperate attempt to make it back to Barker's manor. I was getting weaker and if I didn't get back soon, I was probably going to faint. I made a massive leap and just before I reached the other side of the alleyway I was jumping, a foot collided with my back and sent me crashing to the ground.

"O-ooowwww…" I groaned. I looked up to see Sebastian standing over me, his demon eyes glowing fiercely.

"Excuse me, Miss. I must not have been watching where I was going," He sounded polite but he was obviously mocking me. "My Master would like to have a word with you so if you don't mind, please accompany me back to the manor."

_Is he going to kill me?_ I thought while I struggled to stand. _Forget it! I will not let myself be killed so easily!_ My grip tightened around my dagger and a lunged forward. But I was too weak and Sebastian easily disarmed me. I couldn't take the pain from the necklace any longer. The fear of dyeing completely consumed me and I gave in to pure demon instinct. _I must survive! I must kill him before he kills me!_ Then I lost control.

* * *

><p>Alice's eyes had gone from red to a venomous shade of green. The same color as the glowing gemstone on the necklace around her throat. Sebastian barely had time to wonder what had happened when Alice lashed out again. <em>What a stupid girl<em>, he thought as he blocked her attack, _She is obviously too weak to carry on fighting for much longer_. Alice let out a fearsome shriek and struck out at his face. Sebastian caught her arm and twisted, causing her to fall to the ground. Alice began to rise once more and Sebastian braced himself for another attack.

She stood up but doubled over in pain, clutching her neck. Sebastian stared in shock as she screamed and clawed at the necklace. Finally the screaming died down and the glowing, in both the stone and Alice's eyes, died out. She fell to the ground and didn't move. Sebastian cautiously approached her body and knelt down to examine the necklace. _Interesting. I have never seen anything like this before. Is this what had caused her to go insane?_ Sebastian tugged at the necklace but it wouldn't come off. _Hmmm, maybe it's time to pay the Undertaker another visit._

* * *

><p>"Hee hee~ You come to me for help at this hour of the night? The payment better be…hilarious~" The Undertaker smiled widely at the butler who was carrying the limp body of Alice. Sebastian sighed and whispered something in Undertaker's ear. The man burst out in uncontrollable laughter. "You really are funny Mister Butler~" He sighed wiping drool off his face. "I'll tell you everything I know~" Undertaker walked to the far side of the funeral parlor and opened a coffin. "Put the girl in here for now." Sebastian approached the coffin and placed Alice inside, then Undertaker closed the lid.<p>

"Now, will you please tell me what the necklace does?" Sebastian asked politely.

"Of course~" said the Undertaker, "The stone in the necklace is called '_Demone Rullante_'. They are very rare and hard to get. It must have been expensive~"

Sebastian tried not to let annoyance show in his voice, "That's all fine, but what does it do?"

"Ah yes~ You see, the stone alters a contract between a demon and a human when worn by said demon. It changes it so that the demon must serve the human without getting a soul in return. It's basically like slavery~ If the demon refuses to follow an order, the necklace brings intense pain to the wearer until the order is fulfilled. This poor girl probably snapped from the pressure of trying to stay alive. Tee hee~ But the pain was too much to bear and she fainted~"

The Undertaker started swaying and chanting "poor thing~ poor thing~" and began giggling uncontrollably. Sebastian thought for a moment, _If the pain will not stop until the order is fulfilled, then that means the Young Master is still in danger. I was ordered to bring her back for interrogation which means I will have to bring her back alive. I must get the necklace off her first…somehow._

"So, how do we take it off?" Sebastian asked, interrupting the Undertaker's giggle fit.

"Heehee~ Take what off?~" He grinned widely as if this whole situation was one big joke.

_Ugh, this idiot is no better than Lau._ "The necklace," Sebastian said, trying not to let his anger show.

"It's impossible to take off~ Teehee~ But a Death Scythe might be able to cut it off~"

"You are a Reaper, right? Would you—"

"No," Undertaker frowned and cut him off. Then he smiled even wider (if possible) and said, "I'm retired~ But don't worry~ I can find you a Reaper who will be able to help~ Heehee~"


	4. Not In Wonderland: 4

**Hello everyone! I want to thank you so much for reading this story ^.^ I honesty didn't think anyone would read it. I actually got a couple of reviews! I was so excited that I put this chapter up as fast as possible. I hope you all enjoy~**

* * *

><p>…? <em>What happened?<em>

I was half asleep. Thoughts lazily gathered in my mind as my senses tried to make some light of my situation. I could hear something. Someone talking. More than one someone? I listened carefully.

"Oooo Bassy~ You're coming to _me_ for help? What'll I get in return?" Some unknown person asked in a flirty voice.

"How about I don't kill you?" I know that voice! That's the demon butler. Sebastian, or something like that.

"You're so cold to me, Bassy…I love it!~"

A new, creepy sounding voice spoke up, "She will probably be waking up soon. Will you help? Heehee~"

"How could I possibly refuse a request from my darling? Of course I'll help!"

I started feeling more awake and slowly opened my eyes. Where was I? All I could see was darkness. I reached out a hand and felt that there was a wall or something in front of me. It was the same on my sides too. I'm in a box?

I felt sudden pain and clutched my neck. I still haven't fulfilled my order! I thrashed around trying to find some sort of escape but only managed to knock the box over. I tumbled out of the box and realized it was actually a coffin! What the hell? I was in a whole room full of coffins! And the whole place smelled like death. This must be a funeral home or something.

I looked up to see the other three people in the room staring at me. Being a demon, I have very good instincts and could tell that the two unknown people were Grim Reapers. Sebastian was standing next to a creepy looking man with long, silver hair that covered his eyes and he was smiling as if he had just heard a joke. Then standing next to him was a man(?) with extremely long, red hair wearing a red coat, glasses, and holding a chainsaw_. A chainsaw?_ That must be his Death Scythe.

"Oh dear, she broke my coffin~ Can somebody get her before she destroys anything else?" The creepy, smiling man said.

"Don't worry, Undertaker. This won't take long." Sebastian smirked and lunged toward me but I quickly stumbled out of the way and bolted for the door. I was a little wobbly from the pain, but I managed to stay upright.

"Block the door, Grell!" Sebastian yelled. The man called Grell stood in front of the door and revved up the chainsaw.

"Anything for you, Bassy!~" He sighed, winking at the butler. I was trapped. It was beginning to become too difficult for me to stand. _No, I can't die this way!_ I gathered up all my strength, picked up the nearest coffin, and lobbed it straight at Grell. He sliced through the wooden casket easily but he was distracted for just a split second. I used this chance to roundhouse kick Grell in the face. "My beautiful face!" He screamed as he crashed to the floor. As fast as I could, I practically launched myself at the door.

I had almost made it but Sebastian was quicker and knocked me backwards toward the other side of the room. He then came over to me, picked me up by my hair and dragged me over to some sort of an examining table (probably to examine dead bodies). I was way too weak to even move at this point. Sebastian picked me up and set me on the table so that I was lying down. I couldn't take this anymore! I clawed at my neck, blood welled up around my fingers. I wish to end it all, even though I can't, I just want to end myself before they do!

"No no~ Let's not have any of that," Undertaker said. He got on the table and sat on me, pinning my legs, then he grabbed my hands and moved them away from my blood-covered neck. The pain was so intense that I didn't even notice how awkward this was. I could do nothing but choke and cough. Even though I couldn't tear at my throat, I still felt as though I was dying.

"That stupid brat! My hair is ruined now…" Grell whined while trying to fix his hair. He turned towards me and began coming closer, brandishing the chainsaw. "Although, all that beautiful, red blood really suits you~" He sneered. My eyes widened and I struggled to get out of the Undertaker's grip, but he was holding me down with extraordinary strength. All I could do was move my head in a pathetic attempt to get away. Suddenly two gloved hands were placed on either side of my face, and my head was tilted upward. My fear-filled eyes were staring into Sebastian's glowing demon eyes.

"Honestly, is this really how a lady should act? Please do try not to move so much. We wouldn't want to chop off the wrong thing, would we?" He said mockingly. _They're going to chop something off?_ Grell took another step towards me. Undertaker grinned happily. Sebastian's eyes were glowing. Grell lifted the chainsaw over his head and eyed my throat. The gem on the necklace was shining angrily. Grell swung the Death Scythe downward. I screamed. Then all went black.


	5. Not In Wonderland: 5

**I forgot to mention this in the first chapter cuz I'm an idiot lol This story follows the anime and starts directly after the 6th episode. Sorry if I had confused anybody ^.^**

* * *

><p>My eyes popped open and I sat up quickly. I blinked a few times and looked around the room. It looked like a normal room with normal furniture. I could see out the window that it was morning. I was lying in a bed with white sheets and a blue blanket with a pretty pattern on it. Am I back at Barker's mansion? Maybe everything that happened was just a dream. I laughed quietly at myself for getting so scared over something like a nightmare. Then I remembered. I don't sleep. Willingly.<p>

I jumped out of the bed and ran to the door. It wasn't locked so I turned the knob and poked my head outside. There was a long hallway, but no one was out there. I slowly and cautiously stepped out from behind the door, expecting something bad to happen. Nothing did. Alright, this will be easier than I thought! I decided to go right, and happily made my way down the hallway.

The hallway was long and had a lot of doors but I just kept going, looking for something that resembled an exit. I stopped suddenly, realizing that this hallway was a dead end. I turned on my heel and went back the way I came. I walked and walked until I came upon another intersection. I went left this time and walked some more. Another dead end. This getting a bit annoying now. I turned around and went right at the next intersection. Wait, didn't I already go this way? What the hell? This place is like a giant maze! I angrily turned around and went right this time. I walked for a bit before I came to some stairs. Finally, no more hallways! I rushed all the way down the stairs until I reached the bottom. Oh great, more hallways. I went right, then left, then left again, and found myself at another dead end…Dammit.

This process went on for about an hour until I came to what looked like a servant's hallway. This is good, maybe I can force a servant to tell me how to get out of here.

_**BOOM!**_

What the hell was that? A large explosion just went off from the room straight ahead. I ran inside and looked around. It was hard to see through the thick smoke, but it looked like this place is a kitchen. The whole place looked as if someone set fire to it though. As the smoke cleared out, I began to see a figure.

"Ah, bloody hell. Sebastian's really gonna be pissed this time," The figure grumbled. As I began to see more clearly, I could see it was a man wearing a chef's uniform. He looked like a mess though, his hair was singed and his clothes were dirty. I also couldn't help but notice he was holding a _flamethrower_. What the hell is with these people and large, dangerous weapons? The man's annoyed expression became a confused one when he finally noticed me in the doorway. "Hey! Who're you? What're you doin' down 'ere?" He asked, waving the flamethrower around. I think I've had enough of large weapons. I turned tail and ran out of the kitchen. I picked a random direction and kept going.

First chainsaws, and now this? I really need to get out of here. I kept going in random directions until I saw two beautiful French doors. Outside the doors I could see a garden. Finally, a way out! I ran out the doors happy to be free of the endless corridors and psycho chefs. But my happiness was quickly ended when I saw what was ahead. A shadowy figure loomed carrying over his head, a really large object.

"Now where did Sebastian want me to put this statue again?" He inquired to himself. I took a closer look at the figure holding the large stone sculpture of an angel. It was a human boy who seemed a bit older than Lord Phantomhive with blond hair and wearing gardening clothes. The human turned and saw me. "Hey you, over there!" He shouted to me, "Who are you?" He took a few steps closer and tripped over his own shoelace. When he fell, the statue he was holding slipped from his hands and came hurtling straight at me! I dodged just in time and the stone angel crumbled at my feet. That was too close. I turned around and ran right back into the manor. Humans with super strength? Now I've seen everything.

I ran through the hallways, again losing my way. I'm going to go mad if this continues any longer! I turned a corner sharply and _**CRASH!**_ I bumped into a maid who was carrying a rather large stack of plates, every one of which dropped and broke over my head. I fell to the ground and felt a bit of blood trickle from my forehead.

"Waaah! Miss, are you all right? I'm really sorry, yes I am!" Her loud voice was agitating my newly formed headache so I just ignored her. She was wearing a maid's uniform and had very large glasses. "Oh no! I killed the guest, yes I did!" She cried. I heard more footsteps coming down the hall and the two people from before came into view.

"What's with all the racket?" The chef complained.

"What happened, Mey-Rin?" The gardener asked.

Mey-Rin was practically on the verge of tears. "I accidentally dropped plates on the guest's head, yes I did! I think she's dead!"

I stood up wearily "I'm not dead!" I shouted at the three ridiculous servants.

"Bard, Finny, Mey-Rin. What are you three doing?" We all turned to see Ciel Phantomhive standing in the hallway, Sebastian right next to him. The young earl stared disapprovingly at me. Although, I guess that's to be expected since I did try to kill him. Sebastian stepped forward.

"Have you all finished your chores for the day?" He asked. All three servants looked at each other nervously. Sebastian took this as a 'no' and gave them a stern look. "Well then, get back to work!"

"Yes, sir!" They all said in unison and took off in different directions. After they had left, I took a step back and eyed Ciel and his demon suspiciously.

"What do you want with me? What happened the other night? Why am I here?" A flurry of questions left my mouth before the other two could get a word in. Sebastian took a step forward and I took a step back, growling menacingly. Sebastian merely smirked at my defensiveness.

"Is that any way to treat your saviors?" He asked in a sickly sweet tone.

"Saviors?" I scoffed, "You almost chopped my head off and then you kidnapped me!"

"You truly are a stupid girl. We were not trying to decapitate you, we were helping you," he said, "Have you not yet noticed what you're missing?" I looked at him, confused. I knew my daggers were missing, but they didn't seem like they had anything to do with what Sebastian is talking about. A strange glimmer of hope shined inside me. I tentatively reached my hand up to my throat. I could feel that my scratches had healed, but that was all I felt. No necklace. The cursed item that had kept me a slave to that idiot Barker was finally gone! This has to be a dream! Oh, wait, it can't be, I can't dream. That's even better! I was so happy, I almost screamed with joy and jumped around like an idiot! (However, I refrained from doing so, since I was in the presence of an incredibly handsome demon.) No more pain. No more contract. I was free!

"You cut the necklace off? Thank you so much!" I said, my voice filled with gratitude, "If you don't mind me asking, who were the other two who helped?"

"The man who owned the funeral parlor is Undertaker, and the annoying man with the chainsaw is Grell. They are both Grim Reapers, but I'm sure you knew that," Sebastian answered. I nodded and turned around to walk down the hallway to find the exit.

"Well, I'm sure you don't want me here any longer," I said, "I'll be sure to thank the other two someday. Don't bother troubling yourselves, I'll just let myself out."

"Not so fast." I stopped in my tracks as the little brat spoke, "Don't think you're off the hook yet. You need to tell me why you almost killed me."

I turned back towards Ciel. "I was ordered to kill you by Philip Barker. He told me to do it because he was afraid the Queen was going to ask you to take him out. He lives on the other side of town in a mansion near that little baker shop that sells the really great pumpernickel bread. I wish you the best. Goodbye!" I turned and began walking away again when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Sebastian smiling at me devilishly.

Ciel spoke, "If you have nowhere else to go, why don't you stay and work for me here?"

"Um…th-that's a nice offer," I stuttered, "B-but I don't think—"

Ciel cut me off, "You do, after all, owe me. You almost killed me, and then I showed you great kindness by letting Sebastian save you from the _Demone Rullante_."

I felt a twinge of pain as Sebastian's grip on my shoulder tightened threateningly. "You know what?" I laughed nervously, "I seem to have changed my mind. I've decided to stay here and work for you." Sebastian removed his hand from my now aching shoulder.

"Perfect," he said. A faint smile formed on the little brat's face."You will be the second housemaid. Hopefully with two demons around, things will get done quicker around here." He paused and chuckled, "It's actually quite funny. The Queen had not mentioned this man to me before. That fool had no reason to send you here, and now he has lost his precious chess piece. For now, I'll let the Scotland Yard handle him. I see no reason to take time out of my busy schedule to chase some paranoid fool." Ciel began walking away, and then turned around slightly. "I almost forgot. What is your name?"

Still stunned, it took me a minute to remember my name. "Uh…Alice. Alice Evans," I replied dumbly. Lord Phantomhive didn't say anything, he only turned away and walked down the hallway. I let out an exasperated sigh. I can't believe how weird my day has been. Without warning, Sebastian suddenly grabbed my hair and slammed me up against the wall. I struggled but could do nothing against the suddenly angry demon.

"Let me make one thing very clear, Miss Evans," he muttered darkly, "You are not to attempt taking the souls of _anyone_ in this household. _Especially_ the Young Master, do you understand?"

"Yes!" I growled, "I understand! Let me go!" Sebastian released my hair and took a step back from me. I rubbed my head angrily. "After what happened last time I made a contract, I think I'm going on a diet. No souls for me for a while."

Sebastian laughed coldly. "Just be sure that when you _are_ hungry, you are careful. If I have any reason to believe you are threatening the peace around here, I will rip your heart out," He growled back at me. He started walking away, leaving me dumbstruck in the middle of an empty hallway, but then he turned back around. "By the way, what is your demonic animal form?" He asked. I gave him a questioning stare. Why would he want to know that? Sebastian noticed my skepticism. "Just curious," he explained, "I will tell you mine if you like. I am a crow."

"Cat," I said, "I'm a cat." For just a moment, I thought I saw Sebastian's eyes flash. It happened so fast, I couldn't be sure if it was my imagination or not.

"Can you show me?" He asked. His voice almost had a pleading note in it. I wonder if curiosity is really his only motive.

"Um…sure…" My voice was filled with uncertainty. No one has ever asked me to do this, but I don't really see the harm in it. I concentrated for a minute and then began shrinking. When I was finished changing, I had all the features of a normal cat. My ears had become swiveling cat ears, my hand and feet had become adorable paws, and I had sprouted a tail. My silky brown fur was so dark it looked black. My crimson eyes had also changed to an amber color. The same color as golden Fall leaves. I didn't hate being a cat, It was actually sort of fun sometimes, I just hated being short. I turned my amber gaze onto Sebastian to see his reaction. He had a strange look on his face that was making me feel incredibly uneasy. I was about to change back when Sebastian suddenly picked me up and hugged me close to him. _What the hell!_

"I guess there is a positive side to you staying here, Alice," He sighed while rubbing his cheek against my furry head, "The Young Master is allergic to cats and never lets me keep them in the mansion." At this point, I was clawing and struggling to get away. Sebastian carried on, ignoring my futile efforts to get away, "Since you're a demon, you must not be affecting the Young Master's allergies." I mewed desperately for him to put me down, but Sebastian couldn't understand what I was saying. It's not that I didn't enjoy being held by an incredibly attractive man, I was just uncomfortable with being held by an incredibly handsome man who was threatening to kill me only a moment ago. "Oh Alice~ Your fur is so soft," He murmured. This was way too embarrassing! I morphed back into my human form and to my horror, I realized Sebastian was still holding me tightly in his arms. My face turned as red as my once again crimson eyes. This time when I tried to push him away, he had no problem with letting me go. I stumbled backwards about five feet away before I tripped and fell, my face was still blushing madly. Sebastian frowned and gave me a disappointed look. "Why would you change back?" He asked disapprovingly, "You are so much more adorable as a feline."

I was still in shock and only managed to utter a few incomprehensible sentences, "I…uh…er…you…wha?"

"Your room will be the same one you woke up in earlier. You will find that the Young Master was kind enough to have it stocked with clothes and other everyday items that you will need," Sebastian smirked evilly and said in a too nice tone, "You will be able to find it on your own, I trust?" He chuckled and walked away, leaving me to fend for myself in this maze-like house. I continued to stay sitting for a minute. I was not eager to get up and try finding my room.

As much as I disliked it, I had to stand up. I wandered around the hallways in a similar pattern as before. It seemed as if the whole house changed itself! I could tell by looking out the windows that it was getting late. I had no idea how long I had been wandering around. As I walked down a particularly long corridor, I passed an old man. He was very short, dressed in a steward's outfit, and had a very strange, almost unreal smile on his face. He was sitting Japanese style, sipping tea. I was so disoriented from the endless hallways, I figured he was just a figment of my imagination.

"Oh great, a hallucination. You wouldn't happen to know where my room is, would you?" I asked.

"Oh ho ho," The strange man laughed.

I'm so tired of weird things happening to me all the time. "Thanks. Bye," I replied. I took a few steps away and stopped when I heard a voice.

"Hello. You must be our new resident. My name is Tanaka. It is a pleasure to meet you," The old man said. He had undergone a transformation of some sort and was now a normal looking old man.

"Umm…hi. My name is Alice Evans. Nice to meet you," I said doubtfully, still unsure this guy was real.

He smiled warmly and pointed towards farther down the hall. "I do believe Mister Sebastian mentioned your room is three doors down on your left. Don't worry, it won't be long before you know your way around the mansion," Tanaka said helpfully.

I smiled. This was the first somewhat normal person I've met all day. "Thank you-" I stopped. Tanaka suddenly reverted back to a strange little old man.

"Oh ho ho~" He laughed and left in the opposite direction of where I was going. Never mind. No one here is normal. I went the direction Tanaka had pointed out to me. Thankfully, he was right! This was room I was in this morning. I stepped inside and closed the door. I approached the dresser and took a look inside. There were some maid outfits that were the same as Mey-Rin's, and there were also some normal dresses for me to wear. I changed out of my blood-stained clothes and put on a night gown. I laid on the bed and closed my eyes, wishing for the millionth time that I could sleep when I wanted to. Apparently this is my home now. It's filled with crazy servants, a tiny noble, and an attractive cat-obsessed demon. What have I gotten myself into?


	6. Not In Wonderland: 6

**I post this chapter in honor of Voldemort's birthday being today. Happy Birthday, Voldy!~**

* * *

><p>Morning light streamed through the half-closed curtains of my new bedroom, illuminating the room with a faint glow. I sat up and smiled slightly. Today is my first day working at the Phantomhive mansion and I'm actually pretty excited. I never have to work for that pathetic Barker ever again! The work here might be boring but at least it would be better than killing people daily. I got off the bed and straightened out the covers. Then I went to my dresser and picked out a maid uniform to wear. I took a look in the mirror and smiled. My reflection smiled back and I was sure today would be a good one. I happily left my room and took a look at the hallways on either side of me. I definitely do NOT want a repeat of yesterday. Just as I was pondering which way to go, I heard footsteps coming towards me quickly. I turned and saw the other housemaid, Mey-Rin, running down the hall.<p>

"Heeyyyy!" She shouted and waved at me. Suddenly, she stepped on her own shoelace and fell face first onto the floor.

"U-ummm. Are you alright?" I asked as I helped her to her feet.

"Ah, yes, I'm fine! I'm glad I caught you, I know you're not used to the mansion yet, and was wondering if you would like to walk with me downstairs," She offered kindly. Perfect! I'm glad this place has such nice people in it!

"Thanks! That would be great," I said. Mey-Rin nodded.

"This way," She began walking but stopped suddenly and looked at me, "Oh! I didn't properly introduce myself yet! My name is Mey-Rin."

I smiled at her and introduced myself, "Nice to meet you, I'm Alice Evans." She smiled back at me and I noticed that her glasses were slightly cracked. "Um…your glasses have a crack in them, you should get some new ones," I pointed out. Mey-Rin's hands shot up to her glasses as if I were going to take them from her.

"I can never get new glasses!" She exclaimed defensively, "The Young Master gave these to me and I could never replace them! They are very precious to me, yes they are."

"I understand. I would hate to lose something important to me as well," I said. I meant it too, which was a surprise since I'm usually not very nice to humans.

Mey-Rin's face lit up with happiness. "I have a feeling we're going to be great friends, yes we will!" She said joyfully as we began our journey downstairs. Friend? I can't remember the last time I made a friend. I usually try to stay away from others. This is strange for me but I don't think it will be bad to have a friend while I'm here. Mey-Rin seems like a kind human, and I'm somewhat happy that we can be friends.

We came to stairs and began our descend to the bottom floor. As we stepped down the spiraling staircase, I started thinking about why Mey-Rin's little speech about her "precious glasses" struck such a chord with me. That's it! My daggers are my precious objects. Where did I last have them? I must have dropped them in the alley when I lost my fight against Sebastian. I'll have to go back later and find them.

In a short amount of time, we came to our destination: the kitchen. There I saw the other two servants from yesterday. The chef was cooking breakfast at the stove while the younger boy was watching and chatting happily. The food that was being prepared appeared to be an omelet, though a little on the burnt side. When Mey-Rin and I entered the kitchen both servants looked up expectantly. The young blonde boy bounded over excitedly and extended his hand.

"Hello!" He greeted me in a very cheerful voice, "I didn't get a chance to tell you my name yesterday. I'm Finnian, but you can call me Finny. I'm the gardener here." I smiled at him nervously and shook his hand. He had an incredibly strong grip, for a human.

"I'm Alice Evans," I introduced weakly. The chef stopped working and walked up to me.

"I'm Bardroy, but just Bard is fine. I'm the chef 'round 'ere," His voice was quite gruff sounding. "So, how'd you come to work 'ere?" I tilted my head in confusion, not understanding the question. Bard rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. We all 'ave a story as to why Sebastian recruited us. So why did he bring you 'ere?" Uh-oh. I can't let these guys know that the reason I'm here is because I tried to kill their boss. I'll have to make something up….Yikes, I don't know what to say!

"U-u-ummmmmm….I don't want to talk about it…" I didn't sound very convincing, but the others seemed to buy it.

"We understand," Finny said apologetically, "But if there's anything you do want to talk about, don't be afraid to come to us."

"We're like a big family here, yes we are," Mey-Rin added.

"And families help each other out!" Bard exclaimed.

"Oh ho ho~" Tanaka randomly appeared out of nowhere. Seriously, when did that guy get here? Everyone seemed in a very good mood now. They really are like a family. My happy thoughts were cut short when I caught the scent of smoke.

"Hey Bard, your food is on fire," I pointed out. Everyone except for Tanaka leaped into action. Bard got his spatula and began whacking the flaming omelet to put out the fire. Poor Finny was trying to blow it out like a birthday candle. Mey-Rin ran out of the room briefly and came back with a pitcher of water. Unfortunately, she tripped and dropped the pitcher. I dove for it and caught it just before it hit the ground and rushed to pour the water over the fire. The flames were extinguished, leaving a charred mess.

"WOOOOW!~" Everyone shouted in amazement. They all crowded around me and stared at me in awe.

"How did you catch that?" Finny asked.

"That was just like something Mister Sebastian would do!" Mey-Rin said in astonishment.

"'Aving two Sebastains will make our jobs a helluva lot easier!" Bard laughed loudly.

"Oh ho ho~" Tanaka gave me an approving look…I think so, anyway.

I began to laugh nervously. All I did was put out a fire and they're this excited? Am I making more friends now? Wow, four new friends in one day. This is a record for me! "Thanks, everybody. You are all so nice to me, even though you just met me. It really means a lot, and I promise to work very hard at my jobs!" I meant what I said, which is also something new to me. I feel as though I'm actually being accepted here!

"What are you all doing in here?" A commanding voice sounded from the doorway. Suddenly everyone straightened up and tried to look serious. Sebastian stood in front of us and gave each of us a stern look. "Finnian!" The overly excited gardener looked up at the demon butler cheerfully. "Please go and weed the garden." Sebastian commanded in a kind yet firm voice.

"Right away, sir!" Finny bounded away like an excited puppy.

He turned to Mey-Rin next. "Mey-Rin, please go and set the table." He said politely. The house maid blushed madly and rushed off to get the silverware and plates. Next, he turned to Bard. "Bardroy, please see to the final preparations of today's breakfast."

"'Kay, got it!"Bard went back to the charcoal on a frying pan that was to be "today's breakfast". Finally, Sebastian turned to Tanaka, who was sitting Japanese style and sipping tea. He nodded respectfully to the steward and then turned to me. I looked at him expectantly, waiting for my job.

"Miss Evans, when Bardroy is finished preparing breakfast, please bring it to the Young Master in the dining room." With that, Sebastian left the kitchen to attend to his other duties. At least my job would be an easy one. I can't possibly mess this up!

"Hey, Alice!" Bard called to me, bringing me out of my thoughts. "The food is done. You can take it to the Young Master now." I nodded and put the sad burnt omelet on a fancy plate and began my short trip to the dining room. There I found Ciel sitting at the head of a large table with Sebastian at his side, tending to his every need. The room was very beautiful. The table was a large mahogany wood table that could hold many people. Mey-Rin had thankfully not dropped the silverware and the table was arranged neatly. I was honestly a little bit nervous about seeing Ciel. I don't think he likes me very much. I pushed my skeptical thoughts aside and quickly walked to the other side of the room and set the food down in front of him. He took one look at the blackened food and I could tell he was less than happy. In fact, I could probably go out on a limb here and say he was **un**happy. Sebastian looked very amused. He was obviously laughing at me on the inside.

"I'm very sorry Young Master," I apologized, "We had a small…er, accident…in the kitchen and the food got a little burnt." _A little?_ This thing was beyond burnt! It doesn't even count as food anymore.

"Don't worry, Young Master. I will prepare you another dish." Sebastian bowed deeply and left to go make something else, leaving me and the small noble alone in the dining room. I opened my mouth to make another apology when Ciel cut me off.

"Don't feel sorry, Alice. I know this is not your fault. I don't blame you."

I was definitely taken by surprise. "You don't?"

Ciel smiled at me. SMILED! "Of course not." I was so relieved! I thought Ciel hated me but I guess he got over it. I found myself smiling back. Maybe I can be friends with him now too. "Oh by the way, Alice. You didn't have breakfast yet, did you?" He asked.

"Um…no, not yet," I replied. Ciel smiled again, but this time it seemed more sinister.

"Here," Ciel pushed the ruined omelet towards me, "You can have this." I wasn't sure if he was serious or not so I just stood there puzzled. Ciel noticed my hesitation and pushed it even closer to me. "You wouldn't want to waste food, would you?" It was clear that this was not an offer, it was an order. I guess this means he hasn't forgiven me for almost killing him. I could have said something insulting but I didn't want to make him too angry. This is the best home I've had in years and I don't want to get kicked out of it. I held my tongue and sat down in the seat next to his. I grabbed a fork and stabbed at the "food" until I got a bite-sized chunk off of it. I scooped it up and ate it. It was a struggle to even chew it not just because it tasted like burnt firewood, but also because it was as hard as stone. I'm pretty sure omelets were never meant to be rock-hard. I nearly gagged as I swallowed it and went for another piece. Ciel just watched me smugly. I hate that brat.

After I had finished it, Sebastian came into the room with a large platter of delicious looking foods. There were scones, crêpes, sausage, and scrambled eggs. It looked soooo gooood!~ Sebastian placed the amazing dish in front of his master and Ciel began to dig in.

"You certainly seem to be in a good mood this morning, Young Master," Sebastian commented as he poured him a cup of tea. Ciel didn't answer but Sebastian smirked when he noticed the empty plate in front of me and my angered expression.

I stood up and walked out of the room with my head held high. I didn't want Ciel or Sebastian to think that they had bothered me. When I left the room and shut the door behind me, I ran to the kitchen, which was empty now. I rushed to the nearest sink and turned it on. I drank a lot of water to get the disgusting taste of failed food out of my mouth. When I had finished, I turned off the running water and sunk to the floor. I had thought my first day was going so well. It's going to take a lot of time before Ciel or Sebastian trust me. Maybe this place won't be so great after all.

I was brought out of my sad thoughts by the sound of the kitchen door opening. I quickly stood up and wiped off any dirt that could have gotten on my dress. To my surprise, Sebastian was the one who entered the kitchen. He approached me and chuckled. "It appears that the Young Master does not particularly like you very much." It made me angry that he was getting entertainment from my misery. I really, _really,_ hate this attractive, cat-obsessed butler. I was about to make a biting remark but Sebastian interrupted me. "Come. Our next task is to put away books in the library and organize them."

I followed Sebastian to the library, memorizing the way so I could find it again later, if needed. When we went in, I was speechless. It was _huge_! There were shelves of books covering every inch of the room and there was a second floor which, I'm sure, was filled with books also. There were comfy looking chairs next to a large window where one could read or enjoy the view of the garden. As I was gawking at the room stupidly, Sebastian thrust a stack of heavy books into my hands and directed where I should put them. We silently organized the shelves for a few minutes.

"Sebastian?" I called to him. He was busy on a different shelf and didn't respond or look up, so I took that as an invitation to continue. "May I go into the town later?" At this, Sebastian looked up at me and glared suspiciously.

"Why do you need to go into town?"

"I believe I dropped my daggers in the alleyway we were fighting in. They are very important to me and I need to find them."

"There is no need to go anywhere, Miss Evans. I have them." I stopped putting away books and looked at him in surprise.

"What? Where are they? May I have them back?"

"No."

"NO? What the hell do you mean, _no_?"

"You have yet to prove to the Young Master and I that you can be trusted. You may have them back when you do." This made me unhappy, but at least he is willing to give them back eventually. But what's the quickest way to make them trust me? This is so infuriating! Sebastian seemed to notice my frustration and pondered something briefly. "Miss Evans, why don't we make a deal?" He asked. Uh-oh. This better not have anything to do with me being a cat again. "The Young Master and I will be leaving tomorrow morning to go to Houndsworth for three or four days for a business matter. It would be troublesome leaving the other servants at the house alone, so we were contemplating bringing them with us. But this would leave no one to watch the manor. If you watch the manor for us, I will give you your daggers back upon our return." All I have to do is sit around this house for a few days and I can have my daggers back? This is great!

"Yes! I'll do it!" I hastily accepted the offer.

* * *

><p>In the morning, everyone was all ready to go. They were all outside packing up the two carriages. Mey-Rin, Bard, and Finny were making a big deal about leaving me behind.<p>

"Oh Alice, I wish you could come with us!" Mey-Rin cried.

"It won't be as much fun unless everyone is there!" Finny sobbed and hugged me tightly. I could feel a few bones start cracking when Bard pried him off me.

"Are you sure you can't come?" Bard asked sadly. These guys were acting as if they were leaving for years! They're good people, they just tend to overreact to…well, everything.

"Cheer up, everyone! It's only for a few days," I encouraged them.

"You should all get your carriage ready instead of crowding Miss Evans," Sebastian's voice caught everyone by surprise. The three servants said their final goodbyes and scrambled to their carriage. "It seems those three have taken a liking to you." I nodded absent mindedly, not really paying much attention. Sebastian got closer to me and lowered his voice in a threatening way. "If there is one thing out of place in that house by the time we get back, I will melt down the daggers in front of you and turn them into spoons, and then drive them through your skull." With that, Sebastian turned around and got on the carriage. He got the horses moving and the carriage Tanaka was driving soon followed. Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard waved at me enthusiastically, but I could barely raise my hand. Sebastian's threat seemed a little extreme, and it surprised me. It's not like silverware in the head would kill a demon, but still, that would hurt like hell!

As soon as they were out of sight, I went back into the manor and went straight to the library. It seemed like there would be less breakable stuff in there. I grabbed an interesting-looking book and sat down in one of the chairs. I started reading until it got dark outside. Bored, I shut the book and just relaxed in the chair for a while. I'm actually happy despite all the threats and hate. I have some good friends, a nice home, and soon I'll have my precious weapons back. I can't wait until Sebastian and Ciel come back and see how well I've done! It's not like I have much to do anyways. These next few days will be a piece of cake!

The second I thought that, I heard the sound of a shattering window upstairs.


	7. Not In Wonderland: 7

I jumped up off my chair and stayed still, listening for another sound. I could hear footsteps upstairs. I was careful to put the book back _exactly_ where I found it before I angrily went upstairs to kill the person ruining my chances at getting my daggers back and earning Ciel's trust. How dare someone break into _my_ new home? I got all the way up the stairs and quickly located the broken window in a dark hallway. I can see in the dark so it was no problem to me. I looked out the shattered window and saw no ladder or ropes. No human could get up this high without any equipment. I couldn't sense any souls inside the house either.

I heard a sound. My scarlet demon eyes glowed fiercely as I followed the noise. I walked slowly and carefully down the hall, not making a sound. I got closer and closer to the source of the noise. Step by step I walked towards the darkest part of the long corridor. I heard more shuffling and stopped. Silence. I stared into the shadows for a few moments more, searching for some unseen culprit.

I was about to turn back when suddenly, I was tackled to the ground. I let out a choking cry as whoever it was wrapped their arms around me tightly.

"Oh Bassy! It's been far too long~" The person cooed. I know that voice. It's the chainsaw guy, Grell! I struggled against his iron grip but he just held me tighter. I really started freaking out when I felt his breath on my neck.

"GET OFF OF ME! GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF!" I shouted as I wiggled away from him. He jumped back in surprise and looked at me angrily as if it was all my fault.

"What are you doing here?" Grell asked suspiciously. "Where is my darling?"

"What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?"

"_I'm_ looking for my darling Bassy~" He declared dreamily. "Where is he?"

"Not here. He and everyone else went on some business trip."

Grell pouted then he stared at me for a moment, as if trying to remember something. His yellow-green eyes widened in realization. "I know you!" He gasped suddenly. "You're that demon girl Bassy asked me to help!" How did he forget me? It's only been three days. He took a step closer to me and his voice turned into a low growl. "You're also the one who kicked my beautiful face." Oh, right! I had forgotten about that.

"I'm very sorry I did that," I apologized. "I wasn't in my right mind at the time and I truly am grateful for your help the other day." Grell said nothing. He only narrowed his eyes and began circling me, as if evaluating me. I didn't know what to do. This must be some weird Grim Reaper thing. "Uh…Your name is Grell right? I'm Alice Evans."

"Grell Sutcliff." He responded emotionlessly as he continued to glare at me.

"Nice to—" My sentence was cut off by Grell stopping in front of me and bringing his face uncomfortably close to mine.

"You never answered my question," He stated. He sounded fairly upset. What's his problem?

"Ummm…huh?" Was all I could say.

"Why. Are. You. Here?" He said it slowly as if he were talking to an idiot. How dare he break into my home and then ask what _I_ was doing here?

"I happen to live here!" I snapped. Any ounce of hospitality I had was gone now. Grell's eye's flared up at this statement.

"You? Living in the same house as my darling Sebastian? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Grell was seriously pissed off now. But what's so bad about me being in the same house? Grell suddenly burst into tears. His mascara flowed down his cheeks and he slumped down to the floor in a pitiful sobbing mess. I could only stare in astonishment as he cried. "How could my Bassy be stolen away by another woman?" He sobbed. So that's what this is about. Grell obviously has the wrong idea. I should set him straight.

"Grell, you don't understand," I started. "Sebastian and I—" The red-clad Reaper suddenly stopped crying and jumped to his feet.

"I'll teach you not to take my man away from me," he growled menacingly. The look in his eyes was fierce. I was surprised and took a few steps backwards. Grell's chainsaw materialized in his hand. The blade of the Death Scythe glinted dangerously in the moonlight. Grell advanced toward me with his deadly weapon. "I suppose I'll just have to get you out of the way." With that, Grell lunged forth and swung the chainsaw down on my head. I dodged just in time and stumbled back.

"Grell, wait! You don't understand!" I tried reasoning with him but the love struck Reaper wouldn't listen. He ran towards me and prepared to swing again. Thankfully I was fast enough to just barely dodge his attacks. He's already broken a window! If I want this house to stay intact, I need to take this fight outside. I turned tail and ran down the hallway. The footsteps behind me told me that Grell was closing in, and fast. I took a few random turns, getting myself lost and, hopefully, confusing the Reaper as well. I ran downstairs and went in any random direction just to throw him off until I could find an exit and lure him outside. I opened a door that looked promising and found myself in a sitting room. The room was filled with expensive and breakable looking things. Uh-Oh. I definitely don't want to fight a maniac with a chainsaw in here.

I listened for the sound of Grell's footsteps, or even the whirring sound of the chainsaw. But I heard nothing. It was far too quiet for my liking. Did I lose him? I could see the dark shapes of many pieces of furniture, but nobody was here. I didn't relax though. I refuse to be fooled by any trick. I heard a slight sound and turned just in time to see Grell's chainsaw inches away from my face. I bent backwards to avoid being sliced in half and dropped to the ground. I rolled away from the psycho and evaluated my situation. Between me and the door are Grell and a bunch of priceless antiques that I **cannot** allow to be broken. Behind me is a window that doesn't open and I **will not** allow that to be broken either. Not a lot of options for me here. Grell sneered at me.

"I can't allow anyone to come between Bassy and I," he stated. "Prepare to die!" Grell lunged toward me. There was nowhere for me to go. I tried to move but the chainsaw got to me first. A large gash formed on my arm and blood flowed freely from it. Blood wasn't the only thing to spill from the cut. Strange film strips began to slither out as well. I watched in awe as a piece of my past flew by me.

"Th-this is—" I started but Grell cut me off.

"The Cinematic Record. It's a little talent that only Grim Reapers possess. After all, I'm a Reaper to DIE for!~ "he winked and struck a pose. "I can look at your whole life if I kill you, but only a part of it is shown with a small scratch like that. Now let's see what we have here…" Grell examined the Film and then gasped, "What the… This can't be! You're—" It was my turn to cut him off this time. I grabbed the Record and yanked it out of his hands. The Film stopped showing and disappeared.

"Mind your own business, Grell!" I shouted. Grell smirked, showing his frighteningly pointy teeth.

"It seems I have one more reason to kill you now," He said. I can't believe he saw that! The past I've been trying to erase for so long, revealed to someone else.

"You can try," I challenged. Grell revved up the chainsaw and I prepared myself for a tough fight. Without warning he came forward and the chainsaw narrowly missed my neck. I moved to the side and punched him in the stomach. He quickly recovered from the blow and kicked my face. His high heel caught my chin painfully. I acted quickly and slashed out with my nails. I left bleeding claw marks on Grell's flawless face, which made him very angry. He tried the chainsaw again, but I dodged it. The Death Scythe ended up cutting through a poor chair. In the heat of the battle, I didn't even notice this.

The same routine went on until the sun was just starting to rise. It wasn't until I heard a vase smash into one million pieces that I realized everything in the room was broken. "STOP!" I shouted. Grell had his chainsaw positioned above my head when he halted.

"What?" he asked confusedly. I took in the sight of the room. Not a single thing was left without a scratch. The chairs were sawed in half, the couch had stuffing spilling out of it, the lamps were broken, and every vase was smashed beyond repair. This is not good at all.

"No," I breathed, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! He's going to KILL me!" I was completely freaking out now. Grell seemed surprised and a little disappointed. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was having fun fighting me.

"Who's going to kill you?" He asked.

"Sebastian. He's going to murder me and Ciel's going to dance on my grave."

"Bassy? But why? Aren't you two…"

"No, Grell. We aren't together!" I finally got that out! "We never were together! If you had given me a chance to explain that last night, **this**" I gestured to the mess we had made, "never would have happened! Now I'm going to die." I don't know if Sebastian would really kill me, but I feel as though Ciel would make my life hell. Grell looked completely shocked at this. Then he looked relieved. His chainsaw disappeared and he took a few hasty steps towards the door.

"Well I'm glad there was nothing going on between you two. I guess that means I should go. Good luck with cleaning~" He attempted to escape but I grabbed his red coat and yanked him back.

"Where do you think you're going?" I growled menacingly. "You helped create this mess, and you're going to help clean it up! Otherwise 'Bassy' will kill us both." Grell swallowed.

"U-u-um alright, Alice, I g-guess that's fair," He stammered. For the whole rest of the day we got to work on fixing the room up. We went into town to buy all new furniture. Grell had to go in disguise since his normal outfit stands out so much. His butler outfit consisted of a black coat and long brown hair tied back with a red ribbon. We bought a new window pane, chairs, couch, and side tables. The vases, however, were one-of-a-kind and we had to re-make those from scratch. If we were just human we wouldn't have been able to pull it off, but being a demon and a Reaper, we were able to make pretty convincing copies. We spent all day fixing it up and scrubbing the blood out of the carpet.

Finally, as the sun was going down, we were finished. We both stood in the sitting room and admired our work. "Yay! We're done!~" Grell cheered. He had changed back into his usual apparel and looked very happy to be done cleaning. I could definitely share his excitement. Sebastian will give back the daggers and Ciel might trust me a little bit! I'm glad Grell stuck around to help me (even though I threatened him). He might not be so bad after all. As I thought this, Grell wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. "We should be best friends!" He offered suddenly.

"Friends?" I asked, trying to get out of his death grip.

"Yes of course! Unless…" He pulled away and looked at me seductively, "you want to be _more_ than friends." I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but I felt my face heat up anyway.

"No! Friends is fine, but why do you want to be friends with me? Aren't you jealous that I live in the same house as Sebastian?"

"Well I thought about it and realized that my last best friend was Madame Red and she wasn't as fun as you, Alice!" _Wasn't_? What happened to her? I felt it best not to ask. "Plus, with you living here, you can find out everything about Bassy and tell me all his darkest secrets!" He seemed so excited that I couldn't bring myself to ask him how expected me to get Sebastian to tell me these secrets. Grell does seem to be a nice guy. Maybe being friends with him won't be a bad thing.

"Alright, Grell. We can be friends," I said. Grell hugged me again quickly and then started to leave.

"I should definitely go now. I missed a whole day so I have a lot of overtime to do!" He waved goodbye at me. "I'll come back another day and we can go shopping or something, 'kay?" I found myself smiling and waving back. "Oh, and don't worry," he added, "I won't tell the other Reapers about what your Cinematic Record showed me~"

"Thanks, Grell." He walked out of the room and I heard his footsteps travel downstairs and out the front door. Satisfied he didn't break anything on his way out, I went to my room and climbed on the bed. I'm just going to stay here until they get back. Hopefully they'll be here tomorrow and I won't have to worry about this stupid house anymore. Who knew such an easy sounding job could turn into such a huge disaster. One good thing came out of this though. I made a new friend. A chainsaw-happy psycho Grim Reaper friend, but a friend nonetheless.


	8. Not In Wonderland: 8

**Sorry for the wait, guys. I would say that I had writer's block or school was taking over my life, but then I would be lying. I was just being lazy ^.^ Enjoy~**

* * *

><p>I had stayed in bed all day, waiting for the rest of the residents to return. I was incredibly bored but I'm sure this will all pay off once I get my daggers back. If something happened to them, I don't know what I would do anymore. Sometimes I believe they are the only things that keep me sane.<p>

Outside, I heard the sound of horse hooves. They're back! I ran to the window like an excited child and saw Sebastian emptying the two carriages and the other four servants brought the luggage inside. I was so happy that they were home, I ran downstairs at incredible speed. I didn't even get lost this time! I got to the door just in time to see Ciel walk in. I bowed as he entered the manor.

"Welcome back, Young Master!" I greeted him. Ciel appeared surprised at my enthusiasm. He took off his top hat and coat and handed them to me. He looked around and evaluated the condition of his home.

"I see the manor is still standing." He said. Alright, I'll just go ahead and take that as a "Wow, Alice, you did such a great job! What would I do without you?" I'm happy though that Ciel doesn't seem to hate me that much now. "I will be in my study," He turned to Sebastian, "Bring me a parfait later." Sebastian placed his hand over his heart and bowed.

"Yes, my lord." Ciel turned up the stairs and was soon out of sight. "Here, Miss Evans, I'll take those for you." Sebastian took the coat and hat out of my hands. Sebastian is doing something nice for me?

"Th-thanks," I stuttered, shocked beyond all belief. The demon butler smiled and then took several steps away from me. What is he doing? Just as I pondered this, a naked man with silver hair came running towards me on all fours. _What the hell?_ The man was just about to leap and I was just about to run far, far away when Finny suddenly burst in carrying a large amount of luggage.

"No, Pluto!" Finny scolded. The strange man came to a sudden halt and he looked up at the gardener for approval. Finny smiled and shifted the luggage to one arm so he could use the other to pat 'Pluto' on the head. "Silly dog, you shouldn't jump on people like that."

"Especially without clothes on," Bard muttered while he walked in holding only one suitcase. The man just barked and panted happily. Mey-Rin walked inside with Tanaka. She was blushing as she made sure she kept her eyes from wandering to the strange naked man. However, I was still poised to run. My face was blood red and I tried my best to only concentrate on the servants.

"Wh-who is this person?" I asked.

"This is Pluto!" Finny answered excitedly. "He's a new friend we met on our trip to Houndsworth," he gave me a very serious look and continued, "Don't tell anyone, but he's a Demon Hound! Angela, a kind lady we met, asked us to look after him." Pluto gave an excited bark and stared up at me. Then he suddenly caught on fire and morphed into a giant wolf dog thing! I was frozen to the spot. I _hate_ dogs. They scare me. Do I even need to say why? It should be obvious. I glanced at Sebastian to see what he thought about this. He didn't look too happy. He looked very annoyed. Pluto wagged his tail, nearly knocking over Bard in the process, and promptly licked my face. This dog was **huge**. When I say he licked my face it was more like my entire head.

"….ew….." Was all I could manage to utter. My hair was soaked with dog spit.

"Silly Plu Plu!" Finny halfheartedly scolded, "You have to stay in your human form in the house, or else you'll break something." Pluto seemed to understand and he burst into flames again and returned to his human form. Mey-Rin's face turned bright red and she looked away.

"Umm m-maybe we should find some c-clothes for him…" She stuttered.

"Good idea! Let's go!" Finny shouted. He and Pluto ran upstairs while Bard struggled up the steps slowly with his one suitcase weighing him down.

"I'll go get you a towel, Alice." Mey-Rin offered kindly.

"Thanks," I replied. She nodded and ran off to find one. When she was gone I glared at Sebastian.

"That was a dirty trick you pulled," I muttered darkly. The demon butler merely let out an amused chuckle.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said innocently, "All I did was take the Young Master's coat and hat." I was about to say something really clever. I mean, seriously, it could have been something that even Sebastian couldn't respond to. But at that moment, Mey-Rin came back with the towel and interrupted my train of thought. If I _did_ say what I was going to say, I'm sure it would be better than ANY dumb comeback Sebastian could make up. Instead I pointedly looked away from him and thanked Mey-Rin. She must've noticed the tension in the room because after giving me the towel, she hurried away to do her chores. I wiped the dog slime out of my hair and off my face while Sebastian put Ciel's stuff away. "Were you able to manage your assignment?" He asked when he came back. I got nervous for a split second. If Sebastian found out about Grell paying a little "visit" I would be in big trouble!

"Of course I was able to manage a task as easy as that!" I exclaimed. He noticed my hesitation and gave me a suspicious look. I laughed at his skepticism. "What? Do you not trust me?" Sebastian didn't respond. He turned away from me and walked upstairs. When he got to the top, I heard him say "Come with me, Miss Evans." I silently obeyed and hurried up the steps to catch up. As we walked down the halls I realized, to my horror, we were going in the direction of the room where everything got broken! I tried to calm myself. It's probably just a coincidence that we're walking this way. I tried to sneak a peek at Sebastian's face and saw that he was expressionless. He noticed me glancing at him and I hastily looked away. He laughed at me.

"If you didn't do anything wrong, you have no need to be worried." He said. I did do something wrong! Sebastian's going to find out and tell Ciel and I'll be kicked out! No, I don't want to leave! I have friends here and a nice job, I like it here. _NO!_ I can't be so pessimistic! I just have to seem confident and not let Sebastian get the best of me. I'm sure he won't find out. Grell and I worked hard to make sure of that. Unfortunately, Sebastian walked right up to the room I had trashed and walked right inside. I was trying my absolute best not to hyperventilate. He walked into the center of the room and looked around. I stood by the doorway in case I needed to make a quick escape. I was holding my breath when Sebastian bent down to pick something up off of the carpet.

"Miss Evans, come here," he beckoned. I took a few steps away from the door and stood directly in front of the unnervingly calm demon. I'm still holding my breath. He held something up in front of my face for me to see. "Can you explain **this** to me?" He asked. I took a close look. It was a long strand of bright red hair. Dammit, Grell. My head is starting to feel numb from holding my breath so long.

"That's mine," I squeaked. Sebastian looked like he was having a hard time not laughing at my pathetic attempt to lie to him.

"This is yours?" He asked. I nodded weakly. He reached out and held some of my hair up in his hand and compared it to Grell's. "Funny, it's not the same color as your hair." I shrugged my shoulders and started to think of where I could stay when Ciel kicks me out. Sebastian released my hair and it fell back to my side. He stared down at me and I was just waiting for him to yell at me. Instead he let out an exasperated breath and gave me a stern look. "Miss Evans, I suggest that the next time you wish to invite a friend over, you at least ask me or the Young Master. That way you can be refused properly." I finally let out the breath I had been holding and started breathing normally again. That was it? A light scolding? Yay! "You seemed to do a nice job cleaning your own mess so I think you're ready to do more housework," he remarked. I ceased my mental cheering. So he did know what had happened. He seems willing to forget about it so I think more chores is fair.

"Yes Sebastian," I agreed.

"I have put your daggers away in your room. They're on top of your dresser." With that, Sebastian walked around me and started for the door. Suddenly he stopped and without turning around I heard him say, "Don't _ever_ lie to me again." His voice was menacing, it chilled me to the bone. Then he walked out of the room and I heard his footsteps disappear down the hall. I can't believe it. I wasn't kicked out! And I get my daggers back! I could hardly believe my luck. Sebastian must be in a good mood or something today. I left the room in high spirits and, seeing as I had nothing better to do, went down to the kitchen to see if Bard needed my help with something. I didn't even get lost on my way there. I'm finally getting used to this place!

When I stepped into the kitchen Bard stormed up to me angrily.

"Alice, will you please tell Sebastian over 'ere that adding Tabasco Sauce to a parfait will make it more flavorful," Bard jabbed a thumb back to point to the annoyed butler who was silently working on Ciel's dessert. "He won't believe me!" The upset chef crossed his arms and huffed in irritation.

"The Young Master despises spicy foods," Sebastian spoke suddenly, "Even though, I'm not sure anyone would enjoy such a dish." Bard looked enraged at the comment.

"Tabasco Sauce goes with anything! I'm sure Alice agrees with me," He turned his pleading eyes on me, "Don't you, Alice?" I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to hurt Bard's feelings.

"I'm sure a spicy parfait would be…interesting." I replied hesitantly. Bard thumped me hard on the back, nearly causing me to fall over, and laughed heartily.

"See? I knew Alice would always be on my side!" He boasted. Sebastian put the finishing touches on the dessert and placed it on a tray. It looked incredibly tasty!~ I loooove sweets! Sebastian brought the tray over to me and held it out.

"I have other jobs that need to be done so, if it's not too much trouble, take this to the Young Master," he ordered. I nodded and took the tray. He then walked past me and out of the kitchen. Bard sighed.

"Well, I guess I should start thinkn' 'bout what to make for dinner. See ya later, Alice!" The chef began looking through cabinets and choosing ingredients. I didn't say anything. I just nodded and left. As I made my way up to Ciel's office, I was staring intently at the parfait. _I want it._ I tried to think about anything besides the creamy, tasty glass of deliciousness that I hold in my hands right now, but it was sooo hard! How long has it been since I had something sweet? TOO LONG! But I must restrain myself. This is for that brat, not me. I focused on keeping my eyes higher so I didn't have to see it and I held my breath so I didn't have to smell it. After what seemed like forever, I finally made it to Ciel's office. I knocked, announcing my arrival, and stepped in. The young earl looked up from some paperwork and kept his bored expression as I set the tray in front of him. As I watched him begin eating, I started remembering the day I came in here to kill him. I looked over at the wall and saw a dent from when Sebastian punched me into it. I almost laughed at that thought. For some reason, looking back on all that had happened, I find everything strangely funny.

"Do you need something?" Ciel shocked me out of my reminiscing.

"Oh! Sorry," I apologized.

"If you have nothing better to do, you should go give Pluto a bath," he suggested, "That demon hound is filthy." Awww, I don't want to do that! I wanted to refuse, but I knew better than to fight with my boss.

"Yes, sir…" I grumbled and stalked away. I grabbed a bucket and an extra large scrub brush from the supply closet. I filled the bucket to the top with soapy water and mentally prepared myself for a terrible time. Cleaning tools in hand, I ventured outside to find Pluto chasing after some squirrel. It was a strange sight since he was in his human form. Finny had thankfully found a tuxedo to put on him, so it was a lot less awkward to look at him. I noticed that he had fangs, long black nails, and scarlet eyes. He chased the squirrel around in circles for a bit, and then chased it up a tree. He proceeded to bark at it happily, not noticing me.

"Pluto!" I called for him. His head snapped in my direction and he let out an excited bark. Pluto bounded over to me with a smile on his face and I'm sure if he had a tail right now, he would be wagging it. The Demon Hound stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what I was holding. I could see it in his eyes. Soap and water equals bath which equals new smell which equals having to spend hours getting dirty again to regain old smell which equals another bath later. His smile disappeared and Pluto looked at me with a pleading expression.

"Don't give me that look," I was not fooled by his dog tricks. He was going to get this over with whether he liked it or not. "You better switch to your dog form because I absolutely _refuse_ to bathe a fully grown man." Pluto's pitiful look turned to an angry one. A growl sounded from his throat and before I could realize what he was doing, he jumped on me. I fell to the ground and the bucket was knocked out of my hands. Pluto barked triumphantly and licked my face. He then leaped away and ran for it. Wiping the dog spit off my face, I got to my feet.

"YOU STUPID MUTT!" I yelled after him. "GET BACK HERE!" But Pluto wasn't listening. He kept running towards the edge of the estate. I threw the scrub brush to the ground angrily and sprinted after him. It took me awhile to notice that we were heading straight for town. When I finally realized it, we were already there. To my embarrassment, many people were staring at the strange girl chasing a man who was running on all fours. My face flushed and I ran harder, but Pluto was maneuvering through the people easier than I was. I could only hope that he wouldn't transform into that big monster dog form in front of the whole town. Why the hell do I always get caught in these kinds of messes?

* * *

><p>The Grim Reaper ran his hands through his short orange and black hair as he stood on a rooftop looking out at the town. He readjusted his glasses and twirled his trainee Death Scythe around in his fingers. His boss had given him a small assignment since his partner was out sick for the day. He easily finished his task and still had plenty of time to spare before he had to go back. The problem was that nothing interesting was going on. There were no parties to crash and he couldn't find any pretty women to flirt with. Today just seemed too boring. He sighed heavily. Suddenly he heard a loud commotion going on down below. Humans were rushing to get out of the way of something. A girl looking to be about 18 or 19 with long brown hair and wearing a maid uniform was chasing a man who was wearing a tuxedo and running on all fours. The Reaper grinned eagerly.<p>

_This could be interesting._


	9. Not In Wonderland: 9

**Hello, Everyone! I'm very sorry for not updating for such a long time. I just kept getting distra- Oh look, a butterfly! Anyway, this chapter is super extremely long!(I mean it's longer than the others) Enjoy~**

* * *

><p>I pushed my way through several people trying to catch up with Pluto. He was heading towards a less populated, more run-down part of town. Most of the buildings around here were boarded up and abandoned, and there were few people. This was good. If Pluto changed to his Demon Hound form it would be bad if many humans saw him. That dumb dog seems to have totally forgotten that I'm chasing him. He's getting distracted by every scent, sound, and movement that comes his way. He happily barked at a couple of stray dogs who were digging around in some trash. The dogs heard him and wagged their tails, and barked excitedly in response. That must have been an invitation to play because Pluto took off in their direction and all three mutts ran down an ally way and were soon out of sight.<p>

"Dammit!" I muttered to myself. I entered the ally and stopped. I'm getting nowhere by chasing him down like this. There must be another way…

"Excuse me, Miss!" A voice from above snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see a man standing on the roof of a building. He had short orange and black hair, and was wearing a black suit and tie. By his glasses, yellow-green eyes, and miniature Death Scythe; it was obvious that he was a Grim Reaper. The mystery Reaper jumped off the roof top and landed right in front of me. "What's a beautiful young woman doing around here all alone?" He asked with a confident grin. He gave a slight bow, then grabbed my hand and kissed it. "Ronald Knox, at your service. If you don't mind, maybe we can get out of here and have lunch? My treat." Ronald winked at me. What the hell? Is he…flirting with me?

"Ugh, no thanks. I'm quite busy right now." I rejected his offer and attempted to pull my hand from his, but he wouldn't let go.

"Aww, come on!" He persisted, still with that over-confident smile. By his attitude, it seems like he does this kind of thing quite a lot. "I saw you chasing that other guy earlier. If you want a man so badly, well then, look no further! It's not every day I get to meet someone as pretty as you." Yikes, he's really laying it on thick. Does he even realize that I'm a demon? The Reaper continued, "May I say, you have the most beautiful scarlet eyes I've ever seen? They sparkle like—ˮ Ronald stopped midsentence. His eyes grew wide and he let go of my hand. Confusion was clear on his face. "U-ummm…red eyes…why?….albino….maybe not?...um….what?" He stuttered. I laughed.

"What's the matter?" I asked mockingly, "Never seen a demon before?" At that, Ronald's eyes grew as wide as saucers and he looked like someone had just punched him in the stomach. He took a couple of steps back and pulled out his Death Scythe.

"S-stay back, demon!" It was funny to see a divine being acting so afraid. I would have taken advantage of this moment and made a fool out of him, but I had something else I had to do.

"Relax, if I was going to hurt you, I would have already. Now, I must be going," I began the process of leaving and getting back to my business, but of course, that's going to become impossible. Ronald just stepped straight into my path, blocking me. His defensiveness had completely dissolved and now he just seems fascinated.

"Wow, a real demon!" He exclaimed in awe. "Will had always told me that all demons were ugly but," He paused to let his eyes travel up and down my body, "I have to say, I disagree with him." My face turned blood red.

"How dare you look at me so shamelessly!" I fumed, "I don't want you looking at me, speaking to me, or even thinking about me! Now, GET OUT OF MY WAY!" I tried to push past the Reaper once again but he blocked me and continued on as if I hadn't spoken.

"So what's with this getup?" Ronald asked, referring to my maid uniform, "I've never heard of a demon maid before." This idiot is way too persistent!

"That's none of your business," I replied hotly, "And what about you? That has to be the most pathetic excuse for a Death Scythe I've ever seen!" I pointed to the Scythe in his hands. To my satisfaction, Ronald looked embarrassed.

"All trainee Grim Reapers use these Scythes! My training is almost over and when it is, I'll get a Death Scythe way more fearsome than this!" He added darkly, "Demons like you wouldn't stand a chance." I crossed my arms and looked at him disbelievingly.

"Yeah, right," I scoffed, "After facing the chainsaw, I think I can handle whatever little garden tool you come at me with."

"Chainsaw? Wait…..Do you know Grell Sutcliff?"

"Yes."

Ronald couldn't hold back his look of surprise. "How do you know each other?"

"He tried to murder me a couple days ago, and then he declared us best friends."

"Then…you must be Alice, right?"

Now it was my turn to be surprised. "Umm yes, that's me. Alice Evans."

"Nice! He talks about you all the time, almost as much as he talks about 'Bassy'. He's told us all about you."

Told them all about me? My eyes narrowed in suspicion. Grell wouldn't have told them what was on my Cinematic Record, would he? "What exactly did he say?"

Ronald chuckled lightheartedly. "Aw, don't worry! He didn't say anything too bad. He told us that you're stubborn, amusing, easily angered, and cute."

"Cute?" That was unexpected. I've never been described as "cute" before.

"Yeah, he said that you look really cute when you're embarrassed and your face turns all red," Ronald laughed and added, "like it is right now." I put my hands over my cheeks to hide my blush and glared at Ronald. He laughed again and ruffled my hair. I swatted his hand away and growled. "Aww, you're cute when you're mad too!" He exclaimed. I can't tell if this guy is mocking me or if he's serious. "So what were you doing chasing that guy earlier?"

I hesitated for a second, but then decided that it would do no harm to explain. "He is a Demon Hound. I was supposed to watch him for the people I work for, but he got away from me. I'm afraid that he'll get hurt or hurt somebody else, so I really have to get him back." Ronald thought for a moment.

"Alright, I've decided!" he declared, "I'm going to help you get your werewolf back. Let's go find him!" Before I could protest, Ronald grabbed my hand and pulled me off in the direction that Pluto had gone. We didn't even walk very far before we heard the barking and howling of dogs. We found Pluto with the other two dogs playing with a piece of rope that they must have found. Ronald stopped and gave me a serious look. "Stay here. Leave this all to me." He gave me a confident grin and winked at me. This ought to be good. He turned and walked over to confront the dogs.

"Hey, pup!" He shouted to Pluto. The other dogs, sensing the presence of a powerful being, fled. Pluto stayed where he was and glared at Ronald for scaring away his new playmates. "You've had your fun, doggy. Now it's time for you to go home." Pluto continued to glare at him, and then he caught fire. He morphed into his Demon Hound form and now seemed to tower over the very surprised Reaper. The silver-furred mutt opened his mouth and shot a fire ball at Ronald's feet. He dodged the flame and ran back to where I was standing. Pluto, satisfied, turned human again. When he caught fire, it must have burned his tuxedo off because now he's completely naked except for his collar again. Great. Pluto bounded away triumphantly while Ronald stood beside me, still trembling. I couldn't hold back my laughter.

"What's wrong, Ronald? Are you scared?" I managed to say in between giggles. Ronald ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed and angry at his fear.

"I wasn't scared! I was just surprised…" he defended, "I think you forgot to mention that he turns into a giant fire-breathing monster!" I stopped laughing and smirked at him.

"Well, I did know about the giant dog, but the fire was a surprise to me too. Anyway, it's your own fault. You just stormed up there without knowing anything! His name is _Pluto_ by the way." As I spoke Ronald looked more and more frustrated. I sighed, "You know, you don't have to help me. I'm sure I can catch him eventually. And if I can't, I can always get Sebastian to help me." I shuddered at the thought of asking the demon butler for help.

"No way!" Ronald grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. His voice was full of determination as he spoke, "I'm not giving up! I said I would help you and I refuse to let you down. We're definitely going to catch Pluto before the end of the day, I promise!" I removed Ronald's hands from my shoulders.

"Alright. But this time we're going to have to come up with a plan," I said," We can't dive into this headfirst without thinking about it a little bit." Ronald thought for a second.

"I've got it! We need to corner him," he explained, "If we keep him in one place long enough, he'll just give up."

"Um, sure. It's a start." I was pretty skeptical about this "plan", but who knows? It might work.

"Great, let's go!" Ronald tried to grab my hand again but I pulled it away and walked on without him. I heard him laugh behind me as he caught up. We were unable to find Pluto as easily as we did last time. We checked anywhere that might be a place dogs liked to be. I was worried he might have moved on to a more populated area. No good would come from him running around town, especially now that he has no clothes…

Ronald and I froze as we heard a scream coming from a few blocks over. I had a sinking feeling I knew what caused it. We rushed to see what had caused the panic and saw Pluto trying to attack some poor old man. Well, to some I'm sure it looked like an attack but I could see that Pluto was just trying to get whatever was inside the grocery bags that the man was holding. Pluto knocked the bags from the man's hands and the old guy ran away, pretty fast for an old guy. Pluto used his human hands to rip open the parcels and get the reward inside: meat. He munched happily on the meat while Ronald and I slowly and quietly crept to either side of him. Pluto stopped eating and looked up, realizing he was surrounded.

"Now Pluto," I said trying to keep my voice pleasant, "Be a good dog and go home with me, okay?" Pluto didn't seem like he cared how nice I sounded; he was having too much fun. He looked around for the best way to make his escape. Pluto must have decided that it would be easier to get by me because that's who he ran towards. As I braced myself for impact, Ronald grabbed his Death Scythe and rushed at Pluto.

"Don't you dare hurt Alice!" He shouted.

"No, Ronald! Don't—ˮ Too late. Pluto turned and saw the Reaper running towards him. He morphed into his Demon Hound form again and stood his ground. Ronald came to a stop just a few feet from the giant mutt. There was a moment of silence. Ronald looked like he wanted to run but was frozen to the spot. Then, Pluto lifted a paw and swatted Ronald out of the way. I felt bad as I watched the Reaper smash into the side of a building. Pluto turned to me and barked loudly in my face. The sight of his gnashing teeth and long claws frightened me and I cowered. Pluto jumped over me and ran off while turning human again. "Damn!" I cursed. If it weren't for my stupid fear of dogs, he wouldn't have gotten away! As soon as Pluto was out of sight, I rushed over to Ronald's side. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry; it's my fault he got away." I helped him stand and he brushed some dirt off his clothes.

"Don't worry about it, Alice. Are you alright? You seemed really scared back there." His voice was filled with sincere concern. I looked down, embarrassed. I hate showing weakness in front of people.

"I'm sort of afraid of dogs. It's not usually so bad, but…" I trailed off. Ronald ruffled my hair and grinned.

"It's okay, I was pretty freaked too," he said, trying to make me feel better. He fixed his glasses, then stretched his arms over his head and yawned. "Well, time to think of a new plan. Got any ideas?" He asked me.

"Well, I think we should probably try gaining his trust a bit. That way he won't try to run away every time we go near him." Ronald seemed excited by this idea.

"Yeah! Maybe if we offered him something he liked, he would trust us enough to follow us back to your place."

"Good idea! Let's see….what do dogs like?"

"Ummm…food, rolling on dead things, dirt, chasing cats…" As Ronald listed these off, I felt a sense of dread. I know what to do.

"I have a plan." I said quietly. I told Ronald my idea and his eyes widened in excitement.

"Nice! This might actually work. But first, we're gonna need a leash and some dog treats."

"Right! I think we can get those in town." Ronald and I made our way to town and searched for a pet store. We passed by many shops, looking through the store windows. It was pretty peaceful today. The weather was nice, a faint breeze blew through the air, and everyone seemed content. I didn't even notice when Ronald held my hand. However, an elderly woman who passed by did.

"Oh my. What an adorable couple you two make!" She commented. I was confused for a second, then I noticed Ronald's hand holding mine. I ripped my hand from his grasp.

"We are _not_ a couple!" I huffed. Ronald suddenly wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"It's no use denying is any longer, _darling_." He seemed pretty happy, but I was ready to rip his head right off his shoulders. The old woman chuckled and bid us farewell. As soon as she walked away, I elbowed Ronald in the stomach causing him to double over in pain and surprise. I ran on ahead, not waiting for him to catch up. I kept running until I passed a store that caught my eye. I stared in the window and practically drooled. There were a dozen of beautiful cakes on display. My stomach growled. How long has it been since I ate any human food (besides the burnt omelet Ciel made me eat)? They look soooo gooood!~ I continued to gawk over the pastries as Ronald finally caught up to me.

"You're so cute when you're mad!" He exclaimed. When I didn't respond he got curious and peeked in the window at the cakes. "Umm, I don't think Pluto will care for these very much. Let's go find a pet store." I reluctantly dragged myself from the window and continued walking by the stores with Ronald. This time, however, I kept my guard up and my hand away from his. It was silent for a while, but Ronald seemed uncomfortable that way. "So…you work at the Phantomhive mansion? Grell had mentioned it."

"Yup."

"Hmmm…Phantomhive…Is that the guy who makes the toys?"

I nodded. "Funtom Company."

"No offense or anything, but why do you work there?" He asked. I gave him a quizzical look. "Well, I mean, you're a demon. Shouldn't you be out eating souls, or something? Why would you want to stay there if you have no benefit?" That's a really good question.

"I guess I stay there because…well, I've never really had a true home. A long time ago I just drifted to wherever I felt like. That was a time when I did…horrible things. It wasn't until I made a bad contract that I realized that. My contractor wasn't a good person. I spent those days growing more and more detached from this world. I was so lost. I thought of it as being punished for my many crimes. Then I met Ciel and Sebastian. They helped me to sever the bad contract and made me work for them. There would be no way to escape while Sebastian was around. I thought it just was more punishment, but then I got to really know them and the other servants. They treat me like family, the servants do anyway. I've never had that before, so living in that household makes me feel…happy." I finished my long explanation and realized I must be boring Ronald. I looked at him to see that he actually looked sympathetic.

"Aw, Alice, I had no idea…" he gave me a weak smile, "I'd give you a hug, but I'm afraid you'd hit me." I laughed. I probably would. "So what'd you do that was so bad for you to think everything was a punishment?" I froze. There was no way I was going to tell him. He looked at me expectantly and I wasn't sure what to do.

"Hey, look!" I pointed to a building just across the street. "A pet store!" I ran towards it as I heard Ronald call out my name and run after me. We both barged in, startling the woman working there. The place seemed kind of upscale. A lot of fancy collars and expensive dog toys.

"Um, may I help you?" The store lady asked us. We walked up to the counter.

"Yes," I started, "We would like to purchase your cheapest leash and a box of dog treats."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman apologized, "We're all out of treats. We do have many leashes to choose from though." She went under the counter to retrieve a black leather dog leash and handed it to me. "This is our cheapest one." I looked at the price tag attached to it.

"WHAT THE HELL? WHY IS THIS SO DAMN EXPENSIVE? THERE'S NO FREAKING WAY ANYONE COULD AFFORD THIS!" I snapped. The woman behind the counter cringed at my tone. Ronald elbowed me lightly and gave the woman an apologetic look.

"I think what she meant to say was that this is a little out of our price range." Ronald smiled kindly, "Has anyone ever told you, you have beautiful blue eyes? I could get lost in them all day." The woman blushed and giggled stupidly. I rolled my eyes. "Is there any way you could knock down the price for us just a little bit?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm just not allowed to do that." The woman apologized again. Ronald sighed.

"Well I guess there's no helping it." He grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to face him, he looked very sad. "I'm so sorry, sis. I know you wanted that for your new puppy but we can't afford this." What the hell is he talking about? Ronald continued on despite my confused expression, "Don't beat yourself up about it though. I know you feel like it's your fault because of your…condition." I think I see where he's going with this.

"Condition?" The woman asked. She was eating this story up. Ronald turned back to the woman as if just remembering he had an audience.

"Yes, my sister has a fatal disease. She's terribly ill." I coughed twice. The woman gave me a pitying look. I can't believe this lady was actually buying this. Ronald continued, "We spend most of our wages buying medicine to make the pain go away, we barely have enough for food." He paused and pretended to brush away a tear. "My dear sister found an abandoned puppy yesterday and wanted to buy it a special leash with the small amount of money she earns by selling wildflowers." The woman behind the counter was practically bawling by this point. She wiped away tears with her handkerchief and blew her nose.

"Oh, you poor dear!" She cried. "Go ahead and take the leash, no charge!" I took the leash, adding to the act by trembling a little bit. "I hope your puppy likes it." She managed to choke out in between sobs. Ronald took her hand in his.

"Thank you, miss. You have no idea what this means to us." He said in a shaky tone. We walked out of the store slowly, but when we were out the door we ran. We ran until we were out of sight of the shop, then we nearly collapsed from laughter.

"I can't believe she bought that!" I said when I caught my breath.

"I know, right? When I started, you looked at me like I was insane! I'm glad you caught on quickly though." We both laughed a bit more until we calmed down.

"Well, we have the leash. It's too bad about the dog treats though. They would have been useful."

"Well, I think I know someone who can help." I looked at Ronald in surprise. "Let's go." I followed him to wherever it was he was going. Our destination ended up being a bit farther away. It was starting to get late. I would have to guess that it's around 5:00 right now. Everyone at the mansion must be wondering where I am. We arrived at a dirty looking building with a giant sign above the door that read: UNDERTAKER. Undertaker? Why does that sound familiar? "Now I have to warn you, I've met this guy once and he's a little….strange." Ronald opened the door and allowed me to go in first. The second I stepped through the door I recognized the place. It's where Sebastian, Grell, and that creepy guy removed my cursed necklace! Now that I think about it, Sebastian told me that the guy's name was Undertaker. Ronald closed the door behind us and looked around. I didn't see anybody here. All I saw were coffins. I had to keep myself from gagging at the stinging smell of embalming fluids. "Hello?" Ronald called out. No one answered.

"Can you help us, Undertaker?" I asked not knowing whether I would get a response.

"I don't know. Can I? Hee hee~" The voice startled Ronald and I. We looked around frantically and saw one of the coffins slowly open and a tall man step out. The Undertaker looked just as I remembered him; long silver hair that covered his eyes, sleeves that covered his hands, and that creepy smile.

"Uh, I don't know if you remember me, sir." Ronald seemed nervous talking to the higher ranked Reaper, "I'm Ronald Knox. We met at the Grim Reaper Library a while back."

"Ah yes, the young trainee~ Oh, and what a pleasant surprise! You brought along little Alice. What can I do for you two?" Undertaker pulled a couple of beakers from a cabinet. "Want some tea?"

"How do you guys know each other?" Ronald asked, shocked.

"He helped Sebastian undo my contract." I responded. Undertaker laughed gleefully and handed both of us beakers filled with tea.

"It's good to see you in a more stable state of mind, Aliiiiice~" Undertaker drew out the 'i' in my name as he brought his hand close to my face. His sleeve fell back to reveal long black fingernails. He poked my cheek with his sharp nails, laughing all the while. This guy is strange. Ronald cleared his throat.

"Um, sir?" He tried to get Undertaker back on track.

"Hmmm?~" Was Undertaker's absent minded response. He seemed oddly preoccupied with my face.

"We were wondering if we could have some…dog treats." Ronald seemed embarrassed making such an odd request. Undertaker's attention snapped suddenly to Ronald.

"Why didn't you say so?" He got uncomfortably close to him and grinned widely. "You know what you have to give me in return, right?~" Undertaker was breathing heavily now.

"U-um…wha…?" Poor Ronald was visibly creeped out.

"That's right! The beautiful gift of LAUGHTER!~"

"You want us…to tell you a joke?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes~ Hee hee~" Undertaker looked at us expectantly. Ronald stepped forward with his usual confident grin on his face.

"Leave this to me! This story is always a hit at my parties. Here it goes: Those who defy the agent of death will face Grim Reaper-cussions!" Ronald burst out laughing at his own joke. I just stood there. That joke was so bad, it was kind of funny. Undertaker chuckled a bit but he didn't seem too impressed.

"I've heard worse," He said, "Now, before I give you the dog biscuits, It's Alice's turn!~" All eyes turned to me. Wait, what?

"Why do I need to tell a joke? Wasn't Ronald's enough?"

"Yes, but do you remember your last visit here?" he asked. I thought for a moment but I couldn't think of what exactly he was referring to. "Last time you were here, you broke an expensive coffin of mine~ I want to hear something hilarious as payment!" I wasn't sure what to do. I don't know anything funny.

"I…don't know any jokes." I admitted weakly.

"Then how will you pay me? Hee hee~" Undertaker grinned. I don't have time for this!

"Please let me pay you back another time!" I begged. "We're in a hurry. I promise I'll have something really funny next time!" Undertaker considered this.

"Fine. I'll let you pay me back later. Just so you know, though, I'll be adding interest from now on~" I breathed a sigh of relief. Undertaker tottered over to a cabinet and opened it. Ronald and I gasped. I was filled with boxes of INUKKO dog treats.

"No wonder the pet store was sold out," Ronald whispered in my ear. Undertaker selected a new box from the shelf and handed it to me. He took both of our beakers. Neither of us had drunk any tea, not trusting what else could have been held in those beakers.

"Have fun!~" Undertaker bid us farewell. We waved good bye and got the hell out of there.

"Great! Are you ready to put our plan into action, Alice?" Ronald asked. I groaned. This was not going to be pleasant.

* * *

><p>I had finally found Pluto. He was dangerously close to a very populated street. If I don't do this now, it will be too late. I took a deep breath and transformed into my demonic animal form. I could feel myself shrinking, my whiskers grew, and my nails sharpened into claws. I was back in my annoying cat body. I, very reluctantly, trotted closer to Pluto who was about to run out onto the street. Pluto paused and sniffed the air. He turned his head and looked directly at me. I froze. Every instinct in my body was telling me to run away, but I had to wait. Pluto's eyes gleamed. Just get this over with! I meowed loudly. That set the Demon Hound over the edge. In a split second, Pluto burst into flames and became the two-story fire breathing dog I hate so much. I took off running with Pluto hard on my heels. I had hoped he'd stay in his human form. This was not according to plan! I was seriously running for my life now. Ronald was around here somewhere, ready for me to lure Pluto to him, but in my panic I completely forgot where he was waiting! I could feel Pluto's disgusting dog breath on my fur. I don't want to be eaten! A large paw struck me down and crushed me into the cobblestone. Many loud snaps were heard as several of my delicate cat bones were broken. Pluto sniffed at my body, which was still under his paw, and I knew I was done for.<p>

"Hey Pluto! C'mere, boy!" Ronald shouted. From the sound of it, he was nearby. I felt the weight lifted off of me as Pluto dashed towards Ronald. "Wait!" The Reaper commanded. He held the box of dog biscuits up for Pluto to see. "Change back to your human form if you want a treat." Pluto immediately changed back and stared longingly at the dog treat in Ronald's hand. "Good boy!" He gave the dog his reward and quickly attached the leash we got to the collar around his neck. "Stay!" He tossed Pluto another treat and rushed to my side. I was just changing back to my human form. Most of my ribs were broken, but I could already feel them mending themselves. "Alice! Are you okay? I thought you were dead!" Ronald hugged me tightly. I gasped in pain and he let go immediately.

"I'm…fine," I muttered through gritted teeth, "Let's just get out of here." We had to use almost the whole box full of INUKKO to keep Pluto's attention long enough for the walk back to the Phantomhive manor. It was very dark out by the time we reached the edge of the estate. "Thank you for your help today, Ronald," I said. Ronald smiled and winked.

"What? No goodbye kiss?" I glared at him and he laughed. "Don't go thinking that this is the last time we'll see each other. I know you're going to miss me so much, you'll be begging to go on a date with me!"

"Yeah, right," I said sarcastically. "Goodbye, Ronald."

"See ya later, Alice!" Ronald walked away and I waved goodbye. Once he was out of sight I dragged Pluto's troublesome self back to the manor where we had been just earlier that morning.

"Stay." I told Pluto as I gave him a treat. He obeyed and munched on the snack while I picked up the bucket I had dropped earlier. I went to the decorative fountain in the garden and filled the bucket with icy water. Pluto yelped when I dumped the whole thing on his head.

"There, now no one can say that you didn't get a bath." Pluto growled menacingly at me. "Don't give me that! I think you deserved it after all the trouble you gave me today!" I pulled the last dog treat out of the box and threw it to the soaked Demon Hound. He caught it midair and ate it quickly. Tired, I went back into the house. I had only taken two steps when I heard Finney's worried voice.

"Alice! Where have you been? We searched everywhere for you!" He sounded so worried, I felt guilty that I caused that. I smiled kindly at him.

"I'm sorry. I took Pluto out to play and lost track of time. We were just having so much…fun…" I lied.

"Really? That's great! I was afraid you didn't like Plu Plu," before I could respond Finny grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of the dining room. "C'mon, Bard told me that there's a surprise in the dining room for us!" We hurried to the dining room wondering what sort of "surprise" it could be. We got down there to see Mey-Rin, Bard, and Ciel already waiting.

"Finally! What took you two so long! Where 'ave you been, Alice?" Bard was very impatient.

"Outside, training Pluto," I looked at Ciel pointedly, "Oh, he did get his bath, by the way." Ciel gave me a half smile but didn't say anything. It was almost like he could tell that I went through a hard time. Everyone's head turned when the doors opened. It was Sebastian carrying a tray with an amazing looking cake on it. It looked like one of the cakes I saw in the window of the shop in town, only better!

"For everyone's hard work today, I have prepared a German Chocolate Cake. I hope this is to your liking, Young Master." Sebastian set the cake on the table in front of Ciel and everyone, including me, crowded around it. It looked soooooo tasty!~ Everyone sat down while Sebastian cut the cake and served one to everybody except himself.

"This looks great, yes it does!" Mey-Rin exclaimed happily. Tanaka suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh ho ho~" he laughed. Everyone dug into the food in front of them. I was hesitant to do so, though. It seemed almost too good to be true. I keep expecting the cake to disappear and Sebastian to yell "Surprise! The cake is a lie!". When that didn't happen, grabbed my fork and started eating. I almost choked in surprise. IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE! We all continued to eat our cake and chat happily. This made all the hectic events of today completely worth it. I thought back to the conversation I had with Ronald about why I stay here. It's because of times like these. It's because my new friends make all the bad things seem so far away. It's because of a new sensation that I started to feel when I began working here: happiness.

* * *

><p><strong>*Disclaimer: I didn't come up with the joke Ronald told. The internet did.<br>*Disclaimer #2: There's a Portal reference in there. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. THE CAKE IS A LIE!**


	10. Not In Wonderland: 10

**Hello, Everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was really discouraged by the last chapter since it came out 10000000x goofier than I had intended. Sorry 'bout that. I would like to thank everyone who still reads this story and to everyone who Reviews. Seriously, I loooove reviews. They're like cookies :3 Enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Alice and Barker. I also don't own the picture thing in the corner of the page.**

* * *

><p>It had been a week since the Pluto incident. I was lying face down on my bed, dreading morning and the chores that came with it. The room had been growing colder and colder throughout the night. I had three layers of blankets covering me but I was still freezing.<p>

"Dammit! Why the hell is it so cold in here?" I muttered to myself while turning on my side. Facing the window, I could see that it was snowing heavily outside. "Oh, right. It's winter, everything does tend to get colder." I watched the snowflakes fall faster and faster. Watching the blizzard outside was hypnotic. I couldn't pull my eyes from the window. I feel like this snow is disrupting my peaceful week. These past few days have been so normal, but it seems like these icy winds are blowing away my peaceful days and bringing with it something not so pleasant. I shivered and pulled the blankets tighter around me. Is something bad about to happen?

* * *

><p>"Ouch, dammit!" I muttered as I ripped through my long, tangled hair with my brush. I had one huge knot on the back of my head that was refusing to come apart. It was morning, and I'm in my nightgown in front of my mirror wrestling with my stupid long hair. When I looked out my window earlier I saw the effects of the heavy snowfall outside. Everything was covered in soft, feathery snow. Icicles hung from the bare trees and shimmered in the light like Christmas decorations. As beautiful as it was, I was not all too happy today. I was supposed to start working fifteen minutes ago, but I got a little side tracked.<p>

_Sebastian's going to murder me if I don't get down there soon, _I thought as I tugged the brush though my tangles, finally loosening them a bit. Suddenly a very loud knock sounded at my door. _Shit! That's him!_ I panicked for a few seconds until I heard Mey-Rin's excited voice outside my room.

"Alice, hurry and get ready! We're going to a festival today, yes we are!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"A festival? What's the occasion?"

"It's the Frost Fair. It takes place on the River Thames when it freezes over. It's been about eighty years since the last time this has happened, and it was so cold last night that the river froze! We're so lucky!"

"So we aren't working today?" I asked hopefully.

"Nope! While we're all gone, Pluto and Tanaka are going to guard the house. Now, hurry and get dressed. Don't forget to wear something warm!" With that, Mey-Rin's hurried footsteps disappeared down the hall. Not before I heard her trip and fall. But she was soon back up and running downstairs, her happiness unwavering. Now I was quite happy too! I quickly tore the brush through my hair, getting rid of all tangles. Then I picked out a simple long-sleeved dark blue dress and a warm black coat to wear. I slipped one of my daggers into each of my black boots, happy to be allowed to have them again. I was soon out the door and on my way downstairs to join the others. It will be so great to finally get a day off from all this housework! Sebastian keeps saying that I'm useless and I don't do anything, but that's not true! I always do my work…I just take a lot of breaks. Ciel is never angry about it, so I don't think I'm doing anything wrong. Well, Ciel never really says anything to me. I get the feeling that he's trying to ignore the fact that I live here. But I don't care what that brat does, just as long as he doesn't kick me out!

Finally making it down stairs, I rushed to join the other three servants who were waiting for me by the front door. I've been doing much better about not getting lost in the mansion any more.

"Finally! We didn't think you'd ever get 'ere!" Bard grumbled.

"Sorry," I apologized, "Are Sebastian and Ciel going too?"

"They've already left! Come on!" Finny exclaimed. He grabbed my hand in a tight grip and pulled me out the door, Mey-Rin and Bard following closely behind. We ran all the way to the River Thames. Colorful tents were scattered all over the frozen river. Children were skating on the ice, games and shops were set up, and the unmistakable aroma of sweets filled the air. It didn't take long for us to get caught up in all the excitement. Bard and Finny were playing games while Mey-Rin and I examined at the wares being sold in the nearby tents. I was looking a beautiful handmade clock when Mey-Rin announced that she was going to watch the other two play a game. Apparently they were trying to win a prize. I told her I would be fine on my own and we parted ways. I continued to admire the knick-knacks and toys that were for sale. I came across a display of gorgeous jewelry. They were all so beautiful! I tried on an amethyst ring and held out my hand, admiring it.

"That's kind of pretty," I murmured quietly to myself, watching the light shine off the small violet stone. As I was taking it off to return it to its place on the counter, I noticed something grimly familiar glistening in the back of the tent. Resting on a beautiful display, almost hidden by the shadows of the tent, was the necklace that had caused me so much pain. The necklace that had bound me to that idiot human. The necklace that Sebastian said had been destroyed.

_How can this be? Why would Sebastian lie about that? Looking back on it now, I suppose he never said specifically that it was destroyed. But he implied it…right? What does it mean for me now that it is still here? Maybe my contract wasn't completely severed. But that can't be! I can't work for that abusive, horrible, idiotic man again. I just can't! The physical and mental pain the necklace brought me was too excruciating. I nearly lost my sanity from wearing it…I even went as far as trying to kill myself. Just as my peaceful, normal life was coming back! I can't go back I can't go back I can't go back I can't go back I can't go back I can't go back. I should get rid of the root of my problem. I should just kill Barker. I will kill Philip Barker. I will kill him. KILLHIMKILLHIMKILLHIMKILLHIM—_

A hand on my shoulder brought me out of my thoughts. I apparently had been standing in the same spot, staring at the necklace and shaking violently, for a few minutes.

"Hehehe~ What a coincidence seeing you here, Alice. Are you jewelry shopping?" It was Undertaker. I didn't respond. I just stared at him blankly, not fully understanding what he had said. He removed his hand from my shoulder and gestured to the necklace. "I see you've spotted the interesting piece in the back. Looks eerily familiar, doesn't it? Heehee~"

"But you destroyed it didn't you?" I asked suddenly, "You, Sebastian, and Grell. You…" I trailed off. Undertaker was just smiling the same way as always: creepily. He laughed and picked up a bracelet, turning it over in his hand.

"Of course we did," He confirmed. He put the bracelet down and picked up a handful of pink hair pins, examining them carefully. I'm surprised he can even see them with his hair covering his eyes. Undertaker continued, "Grell sliced the necklace in half with his Death Scythe. The gemstone that gave it its power was shattered and I threw it away. The one you see now is an obvious fake. Even an imbecile could see that! Hehehe~"

"What are you trying to say?" I inquired defensively. Undertaker laughed again and dropped the hairpins back in their little bowl on the counter and turned to me.

"Would you like to hear about the stone?" I was a little surprised by the question, but I nodded my head anyway. "The particular stone that you were wearing was called the _Demone Rullante_. It was very rare. Do you know why?" Before I could answer, Undertaker answered for me, "That's right; it's because it was the last one. There were many more a long time ago, but they were all destroyed. Now that the last one is gone, no demon will ever have to worry about its fatal powers again. Those powers being, as you know, rewriting a contract with a human and causing intense pain if their orders are not met. The demon will also experience agony if they try to kill themselves or their contractor," Undertaker smiled very widely and continued, "Demons have also been known to go insane~" I glowered at the retired Grim Reaper.

"How do you know all this?"

"I know everything!" Undertaker burst into a fit of laughter. I waited impatiently for him to finish. "Hehe~ Come to think of it, I believe there is another gem similar to the _Demone Rullante_." He paused to laugh at my shocked face. "Hmm, if I remember correctly, it's called the _Demone Vita_. It has the opposite effect of the one you had. Instead of causing pain, it actually gives demons strength. If you were in a pinch, it would give you the strength to make it through. Many of those stones had existed at one point as well. However, they were also destroyed. Who knows, though? There might be one left! Haha~" Undertaker brought his face close to mine and whispered, "Don't forget, you still owe me many jokes~" He cackled and walked away. Actually, he only walked about five feet away. I was surprised to see a large tent straight across from me that had the letters UNDERTAKER written at the top. Undertaker waved at me as he slipped inside the tent.

Well….that was a fairly interesting encounter. I feel hungry now. I put as much distance between me and Undertaker's tent as possible, and went on the search for something good to eat. There was a multitude of different foods at the nearby stalls. I chose a warm cinnamon pastry that I had never tried before. Hopefully this will help me forget my weird meeting with Undertaker. Before I could take my first bite, two young boys running by bumped into me, sending my special treat to the dirty ice below. They didn't even stop to apologize!

"Get back here, you snot-nosed brats!" I was about to chase after them, but a strange sound stopped me in my tracks. A faint melody was travelling through the air. My body reacted on its own and I started searching for the source of the music. The two boys were completely forgotten and I followed the sound. I'm not exactly sure why, but the melody was incredibly captivating. Not because it sounded pretty; in fact, it was more foreboding than anything else. As the music gradually got louder, I could tell that the song playing was "London Bridge is Falling Down". It's strange that a children's song can make someone feel so uneasy and captivated at the same time. Finally, I located the source of the haunting tune. A man had a large music box hanging from a strap around his neck. He slowly turned the crank on the box, producing music. And I wasn't the only one who noticed the song; everyone the man passed stopped what they were doing to listen. However, after a couple of seconds they would dismiss it and go back to their activities, as if they hadn't heard it. I clenched my fist and marched up to the mystery man. I walked right up in front of him and stopped. He came to a halt as well and stopped the music, and stared at me. The man had a very bizarre appearance. He had unevenly cropped ginger hair and a top hat with two black feathers sticking out of it. He was wearing a blue tailcoat and a red ribbon around his neck. His eyes were glassy and violet; they were made even more striking by the blue and pink eye shadow he was wearing. There was also a blue fleur-de-lis under his right eye and on the music box he was carrying. He just kept staring at me, as if he were waiting for me to speak. Oh, wait. Of course he's waiting for me to speak. I'm the one who walked up to him in the first place. Damn, I don't even know why I decided to confront him.

"Um…" Was the only pathetic thing I could say. We continued to stare at each other. The man never blinked. I was beginning to wonder if he was even real. He seemed very doll-like. I decided to introduce myself to break the awkward silence. "Hello. My name is Alice Evans." I waited for him to respond. He didn't move. "Uh…the music…it sounds nice," I commented weakly. Still nothing. Maybe he was a doll after all? The man suddenly bowed slowly. The way he moved was almost unnatural; it was like he wasn't human.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, my fair lady," he started. His voice sounded emotionless. "I am Drocell Keinz, servant to the Mandalay family." Drocell rose from his bow and smiled faintly. "Forgive me if I am being too forward, but you are very beautiful. Almost like a doll." I could feel my face turning red. Compliments have always made me feel uncomfortable.

"Th-thanks," I stuttered. Drocell looked worried.

"Was I too bold?" He asked. I shook my head. "I had thought to myself: 'her eyes look so sad'," he continued, "I had hoped you would smile." I was surprised. He was so nice! I thought back to all the men I knew. Bard, Finny, Ciel, Sebastian, Barker, Tanaka, Pluto, Ronald, and Grell. They were all either idiots or hated me. Drocell was so nice and normal…ish. I couldn't help but smile at him. "You look even lovelier when you smile," he commented. It was hard to tell if he was sincere or not, since his voice is so void of expression. I decided to let myself believe he was serious. After all, I rarely meet someone so nice.

"Thank you. That's really kind of you to say," I said modestly. I searched desperately for something to say that would change the subject. "Um, so what's with music box? 'London Bridge', right? It's so strange, it seemed like the song was leading me here." Drocell's hypnotizing violet eyes bored into my scarlet ones.

"How curious," he said, "Many humans don't realize just how powerful this song is." What does that mean? Ignoring my nonplussed expression, Drocell tipped his hat and bid me farewell. "Until we meet again, Alice."

"Goodbye." Drocell walked around me and was gone. I could hear "London Bridge" start playing again. I had no desire to follow it anymore. It's very peculiar, actually. I could not sense that he had a soul.

I shook my head to clear it of all weird thoughts. All excitement from the festival was lost. What I need is to go home, find a good book, and relax. I should probably tell someone where I'm going first. I need to find either the servants, or Sebastian and Ciel. There was a loud commotion going on at the foot to the London Bridge, so I decided to check it out. What I saw should have surprised me, but really I'm used to it now. Sebastian was building an _enourmous_ ice sculpture shaped like a large boat. Ciel was watching with the same bored expression he always had on his face. I went to stand next to him and watched Sebastian in amazement. He was so fast! As I gaped stupidly at the butler's work, Ciel broke the silence.

"Is there something you need?" He asked impatiently, pulling my attention back.

"I'm going back to the manor."

"That's fine," he replied. Without looking up from the sculpture, Sebastian spoke.

"Try not to endanger yourself or the house, if you can."

"What? Why do you always assume that something bad is going to happen whenever I'm alone?" Sebastian suddenly stopped working and turned to glare at me. I audibly growled and stormed away. Why does he always think that I'm going to mess something up? Just because I've inconvenienced him a couple of times, does not mean it will happen again! I kept thinking this to myself on the way to the manor. I was walking up the front walkway that led to the front door when I saw Pluto in his Demon Hound form; he was sleeping and there were three or four boxes of INUKKO dog treats scattered around him. That's weird. I don't remember Finny giving him any treats before we left. I ignored the giant mutt and opened the front door.

_What the hell?_

There were five Grim Reapers standing around the front entrance, arguing. I recognized Grell and Ronald among them, but the other three were unfamiliar to me. "Hey, what is going on here?" Suddenly everyone's attention snapped to me and the whole house became silent. I was sort of wishing that I had just stayed at the fair and played games like the rest of the servants.

"Alice, I'm so sorry!" Grell apologized suddenly. "I told them everything I had seen on your Cinematic Record!"

"You. Did. WHAT?" This was seriously bad. One of the Grim Reapers pulled out a large book and examined the contents. He had black hair that was neatly kept, grey glasses, and a Death Scythe with the appearance of a pruning pole. His face was emotionless, but his eyes were cold.

"Alice Evans, you are charged with over one hundred counts of devouring souls without a contract, and killing multiple Grim Reapers. Your punishment for these crimes is as follows," The Reaper closed the book and shot me an icy glare, "Death."


End file.
